Cade Klubnik’s Career Could Blossom Into Something Beautiful

Klubnik is just the latest Westlake success story. The Austin school has produced a slew of quarterbacks, headlined by Nick Foles and Drew Brees. The newest Jet has been instilled with a winning tradition and expected to live up to QB expectations since high school.

The former five-star recruit didn’t meet his expectations during his time in South Carolina. However, Klubnik was still a successful college signal caller. He won two ACC Championships at Clemson and appeared in the College Football Playoff in 2024.

The 22-year-old continued his career surrounded by quarterback pedigree and tradition. He followed Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence at Clemson while being coached by Dabo Swinney. Klubnik was unable to come out as a top draft prospect, but his upbringing around winning traditions and QB pedigree can’t be denied.

Years of Work Experience

Many Jets fans were wondering whether a QB with fewer than 15 college starts could save their franchise. They ended up with one that started 40 over four seasons. Klubnik has plenty of experience at quarterback.

There will be growing pains with any young quarterback, regardless of experience. However, the Jets can benefit from Klubnik’s knowledge of the game. He has seen plenty of different looks and played against plenty of top defenses throughout his career.

Klubnik has been his team’s starter for the past seven seasons. That constant experience could be an immediate positive for the Jets. The Broncos saw Bo Nix take to the NFL quite well in his first season after a long tenure in college. Klubnik could do the same.

The NFL seems to have a new desire for their rookie QBs to have spent ample time in college. The Jets were able to get that in their fourth-round pick. If Klubnik sees an opportunity, his knowledge of what it takes to play the position could lead to an immediate impact for New York.

Can Klubnik Help The Bottom Line?

The Jets did not spend a first-round pick on Klubnik. Aaron Glenn will be trying to save his job in 2026. New York will not be throwing a rookie out to start in Week 1 barring injury. This does not mean that Jets fans can’t have some excitement for their newly drafted QB.

Glenn and the coaching staff will likely not play Klubnik unless the season is lost. Jets fans will need something to hope for if their team gets to that point. Klubnik has the opportunity to be that hope. The Jets have been looking for a long-term answer at quarterback since Chad Pennington played for them. While it doesn’t look like the Jets’ exact plan, Klubnik could end up being that answer.

Klubnik has shown flashes of talent, had a successful pre-NFL career and has tons of experience playing the position. No one should bet the house on Klubnik being the next franchise quarterback for the Jets, but his career thus far can blossom into something beautiful in the Big Apple.

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