In this day and age of the transfer portal, with so many players around the country switching teams, Cade Klubnik has decided to stay put at Clemson.

So, why was it so important for Klubnik to stick around with the Tigers? The rising senior quarterback was asked that question during an interview with Cory Mose at the Manning Passing Academy.

Klubnik pointed to a conversation he had with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, coming off a sophomore season during which Klubnik experienced his share of struggles. Despite that, Swinney made it clear he had faith in Klubnik and believed in him to be the leader of the program moving forward from there.

That’s a much different conversation than some other players have with their coaches these days, Klubnik says.

“I wasn’t very good my sophomore year, and I think to have a coaching staff that believes in you was really important,” Klubnik said. “Because I talked to some of these guys that are transfers, and you look around and you’re like, why is that guy transferring? You don’t really know that they had a sit-down conversation with their coach and their coach told them to leave.

“And to have Coach Swinney pull me aside after my sophomore year and tell me, ‘Hey Cade, I believe in you and I’m pouring everything into you, and we trust in you and you got this program and we got your back’ – that meant everything to me. So, for a program to be loyal to me, I’m going to be loyal to them.”

Klubnik responded to that loyalty from Swinney with a breakout junior season in 2024, when he completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with six interceptions, while rushing for 463 yards and seven more scores on the ground.

Klubnik was one of two quarterbacks in the country to throw for more than 3,500 yards and run for 400 last season. The former five-star prospect from Texas 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.

Now, Klubnik is widely considered one of, if not the best, quarterback in college football entering the 2025 campaign. He’s viewed as a 2025 Heisman Trophy candidate and 2026 first-round NFL Draft prospect, with ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid even projecting him to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft.

With all the hype and expectations surrounding him heading into 2025, Klubnik was asked how he handles those expectations and focuses on the season ahead.

“Just being real, I was here [at the Manning Passing Academy] last year and I only got interviewed twice,” Klubnik said. “So, I was kind of looking over everybody else, and just tried to put my head in the dirt and go to work every day.

“So, I kind of lived through my sophomore year and what that was like, and I’m still kind of remembering that and just trying to have a great work ethic and trying to be my best self.”

You can check out more of Klubnik’s interview with Mose at the Manning Passing Academy below: