The Clemson football team is aiming for a standout season, with hopes of capturing the College Football Championship. Quarterback Cade Klubnik is the undisputed leader of the squad—someone head coach Dabo Swinney has consistently relied on. This season will be no different, especially since it marks Klubnik’s final year at Clemson.
Swinney has assembled a roster reminiscent of past Clemson teams that have claimed national titles.
“Clemson's veteran, talented roster reminds me a bit of Swinney's teams from a heyday when he won two national championships in three years behind proven quarterbacks, talented wide receivers and stingy defenses,” USA Today’s Blake Toppmeyer wrote.
Klubnik is expected to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Some projections have him going No. 1 overall, though NFL Spin Zone’s Lou Scataglia predicts he’ll be selected third by the Cleveland Browns.
“Cade Klubnik is the third overall pick in this 2026 NFL mock draft, heading to the QB-needy Cleveland Browns. It's just not likely that Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel end up amounting to much in the NFL,” Scataglia wrote.
Scataglia expresses little confidence in Sanders and Gabriel. Earlier in the offseason, Sanders was even labeled a "camp body."
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“The reality for Shedeur Sanders is this: As a 5th round pick, it rarely matters how talented you are, you may never even get the opportunity to win the starting job,” Emmanuel Acho said. “Sometimes as a 5th, 6th, 7th round pick, they are already cutting you. You are a camp body, you are there for training camp.”
Sanders received fewer reps during mandatory minicamp and now faces the challenge of proving doubters wrong. Though selected in the fifth round, he still has the chance to exceed expectations. However, the belief remains that neither he nor Gabriel will emerge as long-term NFL starters—which is why Klubnik is landing with the Browns by next April.