CLEMSON — Former Clemson football quarterback Cade Klubnik looks to raise his NFL draft stock in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
The game will take place on Jan. 27 (7 p.m. ET, NFL Network) at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Klubnik will be on the East team.
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Klubnik entered 2025 as a Heisman Trophy candidate and a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft but a rough year caused him to dip in projections. Still, he is a seasoned college quarterback who has played in 49 games and 40 starts under coach Dabo Swinney and one of 32 NFL teams may select him during the NFL draft from April 23-25.
Cade Klubnik NFL draft projections
Klubnik was a Heisman Trophy candidate and projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft because of his sensational junior season. He threw for 3,639 yards (10th in the nation) with 36 touchdowns (third) and six interceptions and rushed for 463 yards and seven scores.
Yet, he regressed in 2025, throwing for 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns, six interceptions and rushing for 94 yards and four scores. This caused his draft stock to take a hit, but with some of the projected top quarterbacks returning to college, including Oregon’s Dante Moore and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Klubnik has been projected as a middle-to-late round draft selection.
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ESPN’s Jordan Reid and Mel Kiper have Klubnik as the eighth-best quarterback in the draft. ESPN’s Field Yates has Klubnik as the fifth best. CBS Sports has Klubnik as the fourth best, and Pro Football Focus has him as the sixth best.
Cade Klubnik stats
Klubnik is third in Clemson history in passing yards (10,123) and ninth all-time in passing yards in the ACC. He is No. 1 in Clemson history in completions with 901, which ranks fourth in ACC history. He is also the fourth quarterback in school history to throw and/or gain 11,000 career yards of total offense.
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In his final game of his career, he completed 22 of 39 passes for 193 yards against Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27.
Klubnik helped Clemson win ACC championships in 2022 and 2024 and propelled the Tigers back to the College Football Playoff in 2024, ending a three-year drought.
What Clemson players are playing in Shrine Bowl?
Outside of Klubnik, defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart and tackle Tristan Leigh will play in the Shrine Bowl.
Capehart finished his sixth season at Clemson, recording 72 tackles, including 13.5 for loss, and two pass deflections in 57 games and 12 starts. Leigh played 2,202 offensive snaps over 42 career games in 33 starts from 2021-25.
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What quarterbacks are playing in Shrine Bowl?
Kansas’ Jalon Daniels, Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones and Texas Tech’s Behren Morton will join Klubnik as quarterbacks on the East team.
The West team quarterbacks are UConn’s Joe Fagnano, Iowa’s Mark Gronowski, Georgia Tech’s Haynes King and Louisville’s Miller Moss.
What is the Shrine Bowl?
The East-West Shrine Bowl is the nation’s longest-running college all-star football game, a showcase event for top draft-eligible players to showcase their skills for NFL teams.
To qualify, players must be college seniors or underclassmen who have declared for the NFL Draft and are currently eligible to play for their school.
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The event includes a week of practices and interviews, culminating in the game that helps provide extensive evaluation opportunities for both players and the NFL personnel present.
Shrine Bowl start time, TV, streaming
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Where: Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Cade Klubnik NFL draft projection, stats heading into Shrine Bowl
