CLEMSON – It has been four years since Cade Klubnik wrapped up his high school track career, but with the crowds, warmups, and non-linear workouts, Clemson’s Pro Day reminded the quarterback of his running days.

“It’s like a track meet,” Klubnik said of the event Thursday. “I ran track in high school and it’s like, okay, you get there at seven, and you got your first event, and then you wait like three hours. Then you’ve got to warm up again and run your next event and then stay around for like two. So, that’s how it kind of was (Thursday).” 

Klubnik, a three-year starter for the Tigers, came back to Clemson for Pro Day after showcasing his skills at the NFL Combine at the end of February. The Austin, Texas, native impressed onlookers at the Combine with his arm talent, but did not run a 40-yard dash and bypassed a few other common metrics.

Around two weeks later, after his performance at Pro Day in the Allen Reeves Football Complex, Klubnik explained the intentions behind his workout.

“I think for one, I wanted to run and jump,” he said. “I didn’t get to show off really my athleticism this past year just because of injuries, and I wanted to show I kind of still got it, is one way to put it. But I wanted to kind of put that on and go be an athlete, go be competitive, and then kind of finish that up and go show off my accuracy.”

Ahead of the 2025 season, Klubnik was dubbed by many as a potential Heisman Trophy contender and a first-round NFL Draft lock. However, the season did not turn out as many pundits believed, as Clemson finished with a 7-6 record, and Klubnik’s numbers dipped significantly from his junior year.

Additionally, the veteran suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for a game and limited his mobility for the rest of the season. Several months after the injury, Klubnik recorded a 4.65 official 40-yard dash time and a 33.5-inch vertical jump at Pro Day.

Backed by turf and running spikes, the quarterback truly was back to his track days.

In between Klubnik’s final start with the Tigers at the Pinstripe Bowl on December 27 and Thursday, he spent time in Los Angeles with quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer, working to improve on all aspects of the Draft process.

However, Klubnik was unable to start speed training until the last few weeks due to his nagging ankle injury.

“I didn’t really get to start doing speed training until about three weeks ago, because of my ankle,” he said. “It took that long to finally kind of heal. So it was fun. I loved it. And this process has been a blast, really. I mean, I don’t think I’ve thrown as much as I have in the last two months since the summer of COVID in the offseasons.” 

Along with his raw jumping and running metrics, Klubnik also showed off his arm talent, throwing passes to longtime teammates Antonio Williams and Adam Randall. All three players entered Clemson out of the same high school class, and each has now declared for the draft. 

He also got to see several offensive linemen who also participated in Pro Day.

“We all got together and just kind of talked beforehand,” Klubnik said. “It’s just kind of the last time, the last time and a good farewell. But man, I’m so proud of those guys. They killed it.”

Above all, apart from throwing accuracy, athleticism, and statistics, Klubnik wants NFL scouts ahead of the draft to know that he is a “fighter.” The senior battled injuries, losses, and pressure as a mainstay for Clemson. Now, he wants to take that experience and wisdom to the next level.

“I’ve had a lot of great conversations and just more than anything, I  want to show (NFL teams) the fighter that I am,” he said. “I’m just a gritty guy who will continue to just show up for his guys and fight through anything. I’m competitive and I’m willing to lay my body on the line, continue to show up.”

Klubnik, along with the rest of the Clemson Draft hopefuls, will hope to hear their name called starting on April 23, when Round No. 1 of the NFL Draft will begin in Pittsburgh, Penn.