Clemson Tigers Quarterback Ranked Highly After Week 2

After a great game in Week 2, Cade Klubnik received high marks for the Clemson Tigers

Sept 7, 2024; Clemson, SC, USA; The Clemson Tigers played the Appalachian State Mountaineers in college football Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) warms up. / Alex Hicks Jr./USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

It wasn’t a good start to the season for the Clemson Tigers and quarterback Cade Klubnik against the Georgia Bulldogs, but the team and their quarterback bounced back nicely in Week 2. 

On Saturday, the Tigers came out on a mission after a bad loss to the Bulldogs.

There was a lot of criticism of the Clemson offense, Dabo Swinney, and Klubnik in the big game against Georgia, as they looked overmatched against one of the best teams in the country. 

But when facing the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the Tigers looked like a completely different team on the offensive side of the ball.

In the win, Clemson scored 66 points and totaled over 700 yards of offense that saw a program record-setting first quarter.

A big reason for the bounce back from the Tigers was the performance of Klubnik. There was a lot of concern about his ability to lead this team after how he looked gainst the Bulldogs, but those were silenced for the time being in Week 2. 

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently ranked Klubik 12th in his college football quarterback rankings after a great performance in Week 2. 

“After a lackluster performance against Georgia in a season-opening loss, Klubnik was nearly perfect against a good Appalachian State team on Saturday, completing 24-of-26 attempts for 378 yards and five touchdowns. He also added two more scores on the ground in a 66-20 victory, and the Tigers will now look to prove they still belong in the national picture.”

Despite the poor start to the season against Georgia, being ranked just outside the top 10 is an encouraging sign for Clemson moving forward. Appalachian State isn't the same quality of team as Georgia, but they were a solid opponent.

The Tigers will be off in Week 3, before a big matchup against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Wolfpack were recently blown out by the Tennessee Volunteers in a primetime matchup. 

For Klubnik, he will be looking to continue to move on from his poor game in Week 1 after what he did last week was a big step in the right direction for him.

That is the quarterback the Tigers need moving forward. 

If Klubnik can play like he did in Week 2, paired with a very good defense for Clemson, they could make some noise in the ACC this season.