Cade Klubnik Reminds Clemson HC Dabo Swinney of Deshaun Watson

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had some high praise for 2022 quarterback Cade Klubnik after the nation's top-rated player at the position signed with the Tigers on Wednesday.

Bart Boatwright USA Today Network

Cade Klubnik has yet to even enroll at Clemson and the quarterback is already drawing some high praise from his future head coach.

On the day of Klubnik's signing, Dabo Swinney compared the incoming freshman to one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever don a Clemson uniform.

"He's special, I mean, he's magic," Swinney said on Wednesday. "Just kind of what I see. I mean he reminds me so much of Deshaun (Watson). Just his traits, his attributes as a quarterback. Even his frame and his build coming out of high school, very similar. Cade's faster probably than Deshaun but very, very similar skill sets."

Watson came to Clemson as one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. He would eventually win the starting job as a freshman, throwing for over 1,400 yards that season, with 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions. 

Having played against some of the best high school competition in the country should have Klubnik, as Watson was, well-prepared for what he will see as a quarterback at one of the nation's elite programs, according to Swinney. Not to mention playing under Todd Dodge, Klubnik's high school coach at Westlake.

"Just a great presence," Swinney said. "This guy's out there playing for 30-plus thousand people in Texas Stadium there and probably gonna play in front of 40-50,000 this weekend. He just has an unbelievable voice and presence and command. He's so blessed. I mean, to be able to be in an environment like that, I mean, it looks like college teams out there. The way the programs are run, Texas high school football's it's pretty unique."

"Then Todd Dodge, I mean, this guy is a great football coach. I mean, you're talking about Drew Brees and Nick Foles and (Sam) Ehlinger and several other guys, I mean, he's one of the best high school coaches ever in our country. And he's also been an excellent college coach. He's been very fortunate to be in the situation that he's been in. You know, forced into being a starter. Kind of got the job there as a sophomore. And now he's going for three state championships in a row. He's a winner."

However, just like Watson, who led Clemson to a national title in 2016, Klubnik will likely need to add a little bulk before the beginning of next season. Swinney said Watson showed up in January of his first year weighing 182-pounds and was just shy of 200 when his freshman season began.

"Cade, I think he'll be a little bigger," Swinney said. "He'll probably be in that 184-85 range. (That's) probably where he'll show up. I think you'll see a similar progression between January and August, just from filling out a little bit."

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect out of Austin is considered the No. 1 quarterback in the country. The Tigers are becoming well-known for bringing in some of the most talented high school quarterbacks in the country, and Swinney is confident that Klubnik will live up to the standard that has now been set at Clemson.

"His skill set, incredibly accurate," Swinney said. "Can extend, can create, you know, just has a great feel for where everyone is on the field. He's a good one. There's a reason why he's the number one guy in the country. He's proven that, he's earned that. Every competitive environment that he's gone to, he's risen to the top. So super excited to have another guy coming in here of that caliber."

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