Cade Klubnik's post-game remarks after Clemson's loss to Texas were a little more vague than most Tiger fans would have hoped.
The junior quarterback, playing in his hometown, had an impressive performance despite the loss to Texas. Klubnik threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing the talent that made him a standout for the program.
When asked if he’d return to Clemson next season, Klubnik opted not to answer directly, instead focusing on the emotions of the moment.
“I’m just trying to deal with the emotions of tonight,” he said via Tigernet. “I just played my last football game with a lot of these guys, so I’m not really thinking about me right now. I’m just thinking of all the relationships that I have built over the last three years. That’s really what I am thinking about right now.”
After the game, head coach Dabo Swinney shared that Klubnik addressed the team in the locker room, expressing how much this season meant to him. According to Swinney, Klubnik said it was "the most fun he has ever had playing football."
This certainly isn't what Clemson fans want to hear as they begin to look toward 2025. If Cade Klubnik returns, Clemson will likely be the favorite to win the ACC Championship game and will be one of the top teams in the country. If the gunslinger leaves, though, much of that goes out the window.
In today's college football, nothing is a sure thing, but Clemson is shaping up to have one of the best offenses in the country returning in 2025.
If Klubnik comes back, he'll lead an offense that will likely return nearly all five starters on the offensive line and a plethora of talented wide receivers, led by freshman standouts Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore. There's also a chance that Antonio Williams opts to come back for another season, as well.
Questions abound for Clemson on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense could be elite if things shaped out the way that most fans are hoping.
However, that all starts with retaining Cade Klubnik, and — at least, currently — he hasn't made it clear that he'll be back in orange and purple next year