Dabo Swinney Reacts to Cade Klubnik's NFL Preseason Debut

Former Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik made his NFL preseason debut with the New York Jets on Friday. Klubnik joined Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe as one of three quarterbacks to take the field in the Jets' 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He completed five of his seven pass attempts for 56 yards during his debut.

Klubnik's former coach, Dabo Swinney, expressed pride in his former player's performance. "By the time I got to the office, he was out but I texted back and forth with him last night and just proud of him," Swinney said. "I mean, like I said, he’s going to be a great pro. He’s gonna play a long time. He’s a really, really talented quarterback and that’s why he got drafted and they’ve obviously seen that too right out of the gate.

So, hopefully he stays healthy. If he does, he’s going to be one of those guys, you look up and he’s played quite a while." The Jets drafted Klubnik in the fourth round of the 2026 draft, and he is currently vying for the starting backup position behind veteran quarterback Geno Smith. The New York team will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in their next preseason game on Friday.