Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) runs near Troy Trojans safety David Daniel-Sisavanh (14) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, September 6, 2025.

After just two quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, there was a hope that the 2026 crop would look a bit different. With guys like Arch Manning, Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier, and Drew Allar potentially declaring after the season, quarterback-needy teams were starting to get their hopes up for what was expected to be a stacked class of passers.

So far, this group has been a letdown, for the most part. Guys like Manning and Allar have struggled, and while Beck has looked great, there are still some overarching concerns about what he can do at the next level. One of the guys who NFL scouts were most excited to see make the leap from college to the pros was Clemson Tigers' QB Cade Klubnik, but through five weeks, he has arguably been the biggest disappointment of all.

As a fourth-year senior, this was supposed to be the time for the former 5-star to take the college football world by storm. Instead, he has looked "uncomfortable" in the offense, and more like "a first-year quarterback," according to opposing coaches and NFL scouts who spoke to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.

“He looks really uncomfortable out there,” a rival defensive coordinator told Feldman. “He’s late so often. He looks like a first-time starter, not a guy with as much experience as he has.”

Through four games, Clemson — which was considered a national championship favorite and the No. 1 team in the nation in the preseason — has a 1-3 record, while Klubnik has thrown for 996 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. More telling than anything is that the senior is completing just 60.1% of his passes, the lowest mark of his career thus far.

“If anybody’s pressing, he is,” an NFL scouting director told Feldman. “Something’s off with him, but I was less fired up about him than I think a lot of other guys were. I did see the twitch, the mobility, some arm talent, but he needed to clean up his accuracy and decision-making. He just hasn’t been able to play calm and poised."

There is still time for Klubnik to turn things around, as the remaining schedule for the Tigers is very manageable. Clemson faces just one team currently ranked inside the top 25 over the remainder of the season: No. 18 Florida State in early November. Outside of that, the toughest tests will come against North Carolina, Duke, Louisville, and South Carolina.

While a trip to the College Football Playoff may be out of the question after an incredibly rocky start in Death Valley, there is still a chance that the QB can right the ship and put some nice things on tape for scouts. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Klubnik has a nice frame, and he's shown before that he has some upside, offering a reason to believe that he can succeed at the next level.

If he wants that belief to remain, though, things need to change in a hurry down at Clemson.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: 'He looks really uncomfortable;' NFL scouts not impressed with Clemson's Cade Klubnik

Reporting by Zachary Neel, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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