WATCH: Cade Klubnik 'really excited' for new look to Clemson offense under Garrett Riley |
Cade Klubnik experienced a whirlwind of a month-plus from the ACC Championship-on.
The former 5-star prospect assumed the starting QB job after a big performance in Charlotte against North Carolina and saw his predecessor DJ Uiagalelei transfer out the same weekend. Then after Clemson offensive issues in his first start in the Orange Bowl, Klubnik's first offensive coordinator and recruiter from the Tigers, Brandon Streeter, was fired unexpectedly in mid-January and Dabo Swinney brought in Broyles Award winner Garrett Riley from TCU. "I think we were all a little surprised. It was all so new," Klubnik said in a taped 'Next Up' podcast from January and released on Feb. 14. "Coach Swinney told me he was thinking about it...I was like, 'OK.' And then three hours later, he was like, 'I just made a decision. Come up to my office when you have a second.' I was like, 'Alright.' He told me he made the decision and probably one of my favorite people at Clemson is Coach Streeter. Without a doubt. Like, top two favorite people since I’ve been here. "He is without a doubt one of the most loving people that I’ve ever met...I remember in Miami, the day before the (Orange Bowl), he was like, ‘I just want each person to go around the room and tell me what you’re thankful for for each person in the room.' That’s like so rare and that was so cool to me, somebody that loves on people so well and just loves what he does so well that he’s using that opportunity to just care on people. So, I’m going to miss him a ton." Klubnik said he was going to hang out with Streeter after the podcast recording. That doesn't seem to dampen Klubnik's enthusiasm for Clemson bringing in a fellow Texan with Riley, however. "On the flip side, I’m really excited about Coach Riley," Klubnik said. "He recruited me a little bit at SMU, and a local Texas guy also. So, we’ve talked almost every day so far since he’s been here, and we got to go to the Clemson-Duke basketball game...And we know so many people, just connections and stuff, we know so many people. Like one of my high school coaches, his son is one of Coach Riley’s righthand men, and Coach Riley actually bought my high school head coach’s haircut one time when they were both at the same barbershop. Like, we just both know so many people, and we’ve gotten along super well. "I’m excited about what he’s going to bring. Clemson’s been really, really good for a long time now, and I’m excited, a new spark that he’s going to bring." Surely further along now with spring practice coming next month, Klubnik talked then about what he expected from the new offense. "It'll be a new system. It'll be Coach Riley's system," he said. "There's some great things that Clemson's been doing in this offense for a while that I think will stay. But, they're figuring it all out right now. Coach Riley was like, 'Stay patient with me.' We kept our whole 'O' staff. The only change we made was with Coach Riley. Every other position is the exact same...He said stay patient with me and we'll figure it out soon. I'm excited." Watch more below:
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