The Clemson Tigers officially made a move at quarterback Saturday night.
Clemson moved on from D.J. Uiagalalei during the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina. In came Cade Klubnik, and after the game, Klubnik learned he had the job for the Orange Bowl.
At the press conference that followed the Tigers’ 39-10 victory, head coach Dabo Swinney revealed Klubnik wouldn’t leave the position anytime soon. Swinney waxed poetic about the freshman quarterback and then said he’d be the starter in the Orange Bowl.
Swinney said at the press conference (which can be found below) via On3, “It was a great night, and again a glimpse to our future, and what it looks like at Clemson. So I’m really happy for him, and he’ll be — you know, he’s earned the opportunity to start. We’ve got a few weeks here, whoever we play in the Orange Bowl. I’m excited to see him continue to build on it, and again build, have a great finish and build some momentum going into next year.”
Klubnik ranked as the top quarterback in the recruiting Class of 2022. He flashed that talent on Saturday against the Heels as he completed 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and one touchdown.
It never quite worked out for Uiagalelei at Clemson. He followed some transcendent talents and expectations were high. Sometimes, that’s the way it goes. He might figure to be a prime transfer portal candidate this offseason.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022