The 2023 Clemson football season was a story of  rollercoaster until an exponential rise over the last month of the season. The same can be said for the quarterback position during that timeframe.

Cade Klubnik faced a lot of doubt early in the season, and it came with the Tigers’ 4-4 start to the year. By the end, his season totals came out to 2,844 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. Klubnik had a 63.9 percent completion as well.

Starting with the early struggles, erratic decisions were the name of the game. A pick-six against Charleston Southern was the exact example as Klubnik was forcing his hand and it came back to bite.

While the season didn’t find momentum early, his game against Syracuse was one to note 23-37 for 263 yards and two touchdowns as he and wide receiver Tyler Brown found out how impressive the pair can be together. Oddly enough, Brown’s role in the offense fluctuated following that game but nagging injuries played a factor.

It would also be wrong to go without mentioning the ankle injury Klubnik dealt with during the second half of the season. A likely result of the pressure he faced from opposing pass rushes during the year, it limited the mobility that made him a larger threat.

The low point of the year for Klubnik was Miami. Box score watching doesn’t show this one as he had over 300 passing yards and two touchdowns, but the decision in the final moments to try and win the game by himself was a brutal end to a tough game. It was followed by a two-interception day against NC State.

Let’s get to the turnaround now. Klubnik entered a game manager play style as Clemson found its identity in the final month. He still showed the flashes that made him a five-star prospect, but he was poised as a leader and a player. Klubnik’s voice on the team also earns a high grade as the Tigers all have his back.

The high note is obvious, and it came in the Gator Bowl against Kentucky. As Clemson executed a comeback, Klubnik had his best drive as a college quarterback to end the game, going 8-8 for 71 yards to take down the Wildcats. That was a perfect way to end the year for Klubnik and the team.

This was a tough one to grade as Klubnik’s closing act makes it easy to go higher but the early struggles weighed heavy here. The final month would get a B or higher, but there’s too much meat on the bone from the first act of the season.

Final Grade: C+