Scouting New York Jets quarterback Cade Klubnik

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Cade Klubnik #2 of the Clemson Tigers in action during the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2025 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on December 27, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images Over the next few months, we’ll be breaking down all of the rookies added by the Jets during the draft and as undrafted free agents. We continue today with quarterback Cade Klubnik. The 22-year old Klubnik is listed at 6’2” and 207 pounds and was the 110th overall pick in the fourth round out of Clemson. Klubnik was a three-year starter for the Tigers during which time he won 26 of 40 starts and passed for over 10,000 yards and 73 touchdowns. **Background** Klubnik was a five-star high school recruit and the top quarterback prospect in the nation before heading to Clemson with three high school state championships to his name. At Clemson, he was a backup during his freshman year and had only completed 11 passes in a reserve role heading into the ACC title game. While he had come off the bench to provide a spark in a 27-21 win over Syracuse, he also threw a pick-six off the bench against Notre Dame. He finally got an extended chance in the ACC title game when the starter was benched and completed 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown to spark the win over North Carolina. He also rushed for a touchdown. When the starter transferred out, Klubnik got a chance to make his first career start in the Tigers’ bowl game but he was sacked four times and intercepted twice in a loss to Tennessee. He did show some sparks, though, as he ended up with 320 passing yards. In 2023, Klubnik won the starting role and ultimately passed for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns while also rushing for four scores. However, he also had nine interceptions and fumbled 13 times. 2024 saw Klubnik take his game to another level as he passed for 36 touchdowns, which was the third most in the nation. He ended up with a career-high 3,639 yards and only six interceptions, while also setting career marks with 463 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. This was enough to earn him an all-ACC honorable mention. With many analysts predicting that he could be a first round pick with another strong year, Klubnik’s production fell in 2025, although there is some suggestion that this was because he was banged up. He came up short of 3,000 passing yards and rushed for less than 100 as Clemson went 7-6, their worst record since 2010. Heading into the draft, Klubnik was widely regarded as a probable late round pick. The Jets selected Klubnik in the fourth round with the 110th overall pick, which was acquired after they packaged another fourth round pick to move up and select him. Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Klubnik brings to the table, based on in-depth research and film study. **Measurables/Athleticism** Klubnik lacks ideal size but is a pretty good athlete who ran a 4.70 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 33.5-inch vertical jump at the scouting combine. **Arm Strength** Klubnik isn’t renowned for his arm strength but posted outstanding numbers on downfield throws in 2024. While his numbers in 2025 and 2023 were not as good, they were still solid – and his 2025 numbers could have been even better if not for a handful of drops. He gets air under his deep throws and puts good touch on the ball when throwing deep.

In terms of displaying zip to get the ball outside or into a tight window, Klubnik is adequate although it is something that he can struggle with under pressure.

**Accuracy** Klubnik’s accuracy numbers were not that good in college, although it was interesting to note that – despite his struggles – he posted the best completion percentage of his career (65.6%) in his final season. That was the only time he was over 65 percent, though. Last year, the rate at which his receivers dropped passes was not insignificant, and consistent with his other two years as a starter. It was much higher than that of Fernando Mendoza, for example. However, it was lower than the likes of Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier, so you probably can’t read too much into this being the reason his accuracy numbers aren’t better. Generally speaking, he has the ability to throw with timing and anticipation and to put the ball in spots where his receiver can go to get it. At times, he can convert tight window throws.

However, he will miss easy opportunities when under heavy pressure, and can have lapses even from a clean pocket.

**Under pressure** As already noted, Klubnik can see his accuracy and how much zip he gets on the ball affected by pressure. He has a tendency to over-rely on his upper body rather than stepping into throws. He can also panic at times, and will take sacks when he shouldn’t and make ill-advised throws when he should just eat the ball or throw it away.

He has the athleticism and ability to escape pressure, but isn’t always as good when off-script or off-platform.

Encouragingly, his number of fumbles each year has dropped, suggesting he is taking better care of the ball and perhaps more aware of pressure. He had 13 in 2023, nine in 2024 and four last year. **Footwork/Technique** Klubnik has a quick, compact release but, as already noted, he can get into trouble when he tries to make plays without stepping into the throw.

When making throws on the move, Klubnik is often off balance or fading away, but he is effective when he has time to reset his feet.

**Decision Making** Klubnik obviously impressed the Jets with his smarts during the pre-draft process but there are concerning moments in his game film. Some scouts question his field vision when his first option isn’t open and his ability to read coverages generally.

One encouraging trait is that he hasn’t thrown more than one interception in any game other than in his first career start and one 2023 game. That means he ended his career on a streak of 31 straight starts with one or fewer interceptions. He has shown periodically that he can come off his first read and go to another option.

**Mobility** Klubnik has always been considered a dual threat quarterback and has made plays with his legs on both designed runs and scrambles throughout his college career.

It was only really in 2024 that he was really productive in this area as he had almost 500 yards and seven scores. However, in each of his other three seasons, he did have at least one game where he rushed for 50 yards and he had 10 more touchdowns in total. Klubnik’s highest rushing total in a game is 70 yards and he once carried 20 times in a game, although this was in his first season. He had runs of 55, 50 and 34 yards in 2024 but otherwise never had a 25-yard run in his other three seasons. Perhaps as a result of being banged up, he had a career-low in rushing yards in 2025. Klubnik’s mobility is also an asset when escaping pressure and he can also move around in and around the pocket to buy time.

**Special teams** Klubnik didn’t play any special teams snaps in college. However, he was called upon to pooch punt a couple of times. One was adequate but the other was a 19-yard shank. **Scheme Fit** Offensive coordinator Frank Reich looked genuinely psyched to land Klubnik during the draft so you can be sure he is looking forward to working with him and feels he will suit the Jets’ system well. Analysts believe Klubnik will be best-served in a quick passing offense, but his ability to make plays with his legs is a trait which is always desirable for a backup option. He has been a teammate of current Jets defensive lineman Payton Page, and we also can’t overlook the connection between the new passing game coordinator, Seth Ryan, and the Clemson program. **Injuries** As noted above, Klubnik was banged up during the 2025 season. He had an ankle injury in October, a quad contusion in November and then a thumb injury in December. He missed just one start, due to the ankle. Clearly Klubnik displayed some toughness to play through some of these issues, and the Jets may be hoping that they partially explain his statistical regression. Prior to last year, injuries were not really a concern. **Intangibles** Klubnik seems to have impressed the Jets with his football IQ during the pre-draft process, even though there are examples of him making bad reads in his film. He is engaged and a man of faith with no off-field concerns. His teammates voted him as a permanent team captain ahead of the 2025 season. He was also a three-time all-ACC academic selection. **Conclusions** The Klubnik pick raised eyebrows, especially in light of the trade-up. He was the fifth quarterback selected despite many analysts not having him ranked in their top 10. Clearly the Jets organization, perhaps under Ryan’s direction, was higher than Klubnik than the consensus – and high enough on him to move up when they got a sense other teams could be interested in selecting him. The Jets’ never-ending search for a quarterback of the future looks set to enter a new chapter during the offseason, as the Jets will have the ammunition to select a top prospect in the first round or make a blockbuster trade for a veteran. As to where Klubnik fits into that, it seems far more likely that he will be able to establish himself as a long-term backup and fringe starter option than to defy expectations and adjust so comfortably to NFL life that the Jets start to consider him as a potential future starter and a candidate to be their guy going forwards. For now, he just needs to be a sponge and try to learn as much as he can so the Jets can determine whether or not he has any kind of NFL future.