Cade Klubnik claims 2025 Clemson is 'much better' than 2023 season that started 2-2

It’s been a rough start to the season for Clemson, which fell completely out of the AP Top 25 Rankings after losses to LSU and Georgia Tech in two of its first three games. The Tigers are now staring at a potential 2-2 start to the season (with a win over Syracuse on Saturday) for the second time in three years.

That 2023 team actually went 4-4 through their first eight games before finishing the season on a five game-winning streak. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik however set the record straight on Wednesday, claiming that this year’s team is much better than that team in 2023.

“We want to respond faster for sure,” Klubnik said. “A little bit of that, but this is not the same team. That’s for sure. This is a much better team than we were in ’23. We’ve got two losses and both of them have come down to the very last play of the game. We’re right there, we just have to put it all together and keep striving.”

“I believe that our dream is still in front of us. Just go back after it and go back to work. Gotta keep chasing. Keep chasing. We’ve got nine more guaranteed games and we’re hoping for a few more after that. Keep chasing. It’s a long season and we’re ready to get back after it. Ready to go practice today and get back to Death Valley on Saturday.”

After entering the season with potential Heisman Trophy expectations, Klubnik has been extremely disappointing. Through three games, the senior quarterback has completed 59.1% of his passes for 633 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. His QBR currently sits at 123.9, which ranks 15th in the ACC.

Even Clemson‘s lone win wasn’t good enough to keep them in the top-25 rankings, as it trailed Troy 16-3 at halftime. It took a big second half to escape with a 27-16 win over the Trojans. The Tigers do however have a favorable conference schedule looming, as they will face Syracuse, North Carolina, Boston College, SMU and Duke over the next five games.

This gives Clemson an opportunity to potentially get to 6-2 ahead of a massive matchup against Florida State on Nov. 8, which could potentially determine a spot in the ACC Championship Game. In order to be in that spot however, it will certainly need more consistent play from the quarterback position.