Clemson, Cade Klubnik land on ESPN's 'most to prove' list

Cade Klubnik earned MVP honors in the ACC Championship win over UNC, coming off the bench to lead the Tigers to victory.

by TigerNet Staff - Thu Feb 23 10:19:04 GMT-04:00 2023

An ESPN panel tackled teams, coaches and players with the most to prove in 2023 and Clemson was name-checked a few times.

Looking big picture first, the reigning ACC champs have more to prove, per Andrea Adelson.

"At least from a national perspective, Clemson has to prove to its growing number of doubters that it still has what it takes to be a perennial playoff contender," Adelson said. "Especially after coach Dabo Swinney went out and hired Garrett Riley to help get the offense moving in the right direction. It is a move that acknowledged something had to be done to get the Tigers back to a place where they belonged for so long. While it is true that Clemson won the ACC in 2022 and has 12 straight seasons with 10 or more wins, it also is true that continuing to raise the bar has now put Clemson in a position where anything less than a playoff spot is disappointing.

"Therefore, the narrative that is being written is one that Clemson is 'underachieving' even though this is the best era in the history of Clemson football. Clemson does not have to prove that it can win 10 games and the ACC. But what it does have to prove is that it deserves to be considered a championship contender again."

To prove something, its quarterback will have to perform in that new offensive system.

"He had every opportunity to win the job as a true freshman last season but couldn't overtake a mediocre DJ Uiagalelei until the ACC title game," said ESPN's David Hale. "Had Klubnik developed a little faster, Clemson might've been a playoff team in 2022. Instead, he finally exploded against UNC, then quickly looked like a freshman again in Clemson's bowl game. After the season, Dabo Swinney fired longtime QB coach (and first-year offensive coordinator) Brandon Streeter and brought in Garrett Riley to ensure Klubnik becomes the next great Clemson passer. There's no reason to believe it can't happen -- Klubnik certainly has the tools -- but with each passing year, the Trevor Lawrence era feels a bit harder to replicate with someone new."

Adelson also added that Uiagalelei is one of the transfers with the most to prove.

"In my view, the biggest name here is Uiagalelei, who transferred from Clemson to Oregon State," said Adelson. "It was only two offseasons ago that Uiagalelei was earning preseason Heisman hype and signing up to be a Dr. Pepper spokesperson, but for myriad reasons, it simply did not work out for him in two years as the Clemson starter. Uiagalelei handled the criticism and disappointments with class and grace, but now this fresh start gives him an opportunity to refocus and reset. Uiagalelei has the same potential and talent coaches saw when he was a highly touted recruit out of California. Perhaps moving outside the national spotlight will help him prove that to the world."