NFL Draft expert and former ESPN analyst Todd McShay sees a lot of similarities between Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and this young NFL signal-caller.
On The McShay Show, he broke down Klubnik’s tape and gave a player comp for Klubnik, comparing him to former Auburn and Oregon QB Bo Nix.
“I see a lot of Bo Nix in this kid. I see a lot of Bo Nix in Cade Klubnik,” McShay said. “I think he’s great when the initial play breaks down, when he’s gotta climb the pocket, when he’s gotta side step. It’s like soothing to him, which I love that. I loved it in [former Southern Cal/Ole Miss and current New York Giants QB] Jaxson Dart. I underrated it in Bo Nix.”
Nix is entering his second NFL season after the Denver Broncos selected him in the first round (12th overall) of last year’s draft. He is coming off a strong rookie season in 2024, when he completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, while also rushing for 430 yards and four more scores on the ground.
As for Klubnik, heading into his senior season with the Tigers, he is widely considered a 2025 Heisman Trophy candidate and first-round talent for next year’s draft. As a junior last season, he completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with six interceptions, to go with 463 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
“The other thing is they both have elastic arms, Bo Nix and [Klubnik],” McShay added. “Watch his arm, like how loose, and the ball, it has more energy than it looks. I said the same thing about Bo, and I put too much emphasis on all the problems at Auburn and not enough on the development at Oregon. I absolutely undervalued Bo Nix.
“When I’m saying Bo Nix [comp to Klubnik], like look at the size, look at the mobility, look at the elastic arm, look at kind of the chaos pressure stuff. I’m not saying the ceiling is Bo Nix. I’m just saying when I watch him, I see a lot of the same stuff.”
In the Way-Too-Early 2026 Mock Draft that McShay released last month, he projected Klubnik to the Cleveland Browns with the fifth overall pick.
Klubnik enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, when he was one of two quarterbacks in the country to throw for more than 3,500 yards and run for 400. Klubnik also finished second nationally in total touchdowns with 43. He was third nationally in touchdown passes with 36, and his six interceptions were second fewest among quarterbacks who threw 28 or more touchdown passes in 2024.