Cade Klubnik injury update: Dabo Swinney reveals latest on Clemson QB's practice participation

There is a growing concern about the status of Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik ahead of the SMU game this weekend. That comes after he sprained his ankle in the third quarter of their win against Boston College last week.

Now, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has shared the latest on Klubnik. The veteran quarterback has been limited in practice this week, and the hope is that he can get back on the field this week. However, nothing is guaranteed right now.

“Been limited,” Swinney said. “We’ve just been taking our time with him and, like I said yesterday, he’s gone from day-to-day to he’s hour-to-hour. Hopefully, by tomorrow, he’ll be minute-to-minute, but we’ll put out a report tomorrow night. First one, and we’ll keep going. Getting better. Literally getting better every hour. We’ve just been smart with him and he’s been able to do what he needed to do.”

In six games this season, Klubnik completed 65.8% of his passes for 1,530 yards and 11 touchdowns to five interceptions. He’s also rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns. During that stretch, Clemson has opened the season at a frustrating 3-3 and 2-2 in ACC play.

With just four games left in conference play, they’re all becoming much more vital to Clemson. SMU is among the five ACC teams that are still unbeaten in conference play. So, if the Tigers are going to find their way to the ACC Championship Game, they’ll need to avoid another stumble.

When Klubnik left the Boston College game, Swinney turned to Christopher Vizzina. The Clemson backup finished the game, completing one of three pass attempts with an interception. He did rush for 19 yards as well. After that game, Swinney shared some thoughts on getting Vizzina those reps.

“[Klubnik] was ready to go back in,” Swinney said. “But I said, ‘Let’s just see how [Christopher Vizzina] does right here.’ It’s good for CV to play. It was good for him to have to go in there and play. Got a good drive down the field.”

Immediately following the Boston College game, Swinney had been confident that Klubnik would be able to go against SMU. However, clearly that’s not yet been decided as he works his way back from the ankle injury. If he can’t go, Clemson would presumably once again turn Vizzina against SMU.

The Tigers are returning home for this week’s game. There, Clemson is just 1-2 on the season. They’ll be looking to fix that and get back to .500 at home, regardless of the quarterback, when toe meets leather on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST.