Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik is in for a emotional ride down memory lane as he returns to his homestate of Texas on December 21. The Lone Star Stateâs product will take on the Texas Longhorns on the road in a highly-anticipated first round matchup. Ahead of the game, Klubnik spoke on his relationship with the Horns quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning.
Klubnik is a high-school legend back home in the Austin area, he led Westlake High School to two state championships in 2020 and 2021, while going undefeated for a 30-0 record. However, he wonât be received as a hero at The Forty Acres, quite the contrary. Klubnik will take on the villain role as he faces off against many familiar faces, including the opposing quarterbacks, Ewers and Manning.
Ewers and Klubnik last met on a gridiron in high school as Klubnikâs Westlake took down Ewersâ Southlake Carroll in the 2021 6A Division 2 State Championship. There is no bad blood between the two, though. Instead they are actually friends and have trained together as they headed to the NCAA. Three years later, their paths meet again in another win-or-go-home matchup.
Ahead of their meeting on Saturday, Klubnik made a clear statement on Ewers, as well as about Manning, whom he has also met.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) smiles after winning the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Clemson Tigers on Monday September 5, 2022 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
âQuinn and I go way back,â Klubnik said, per On3. âMet my junior year in the state championship game. It was definitely a very high-profile game. Then you know Quinn and I playing against each other. It was a really cool deal. It was really fun to experience that.
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âWe definitely got a great relationship. Got to know Arch [Manning] a lot this summer; great guy. Love both those dudes, theyâre both just great guys that love ball, and theyâre going to have great careers. Excited to see them on Saturday for sure.â
First-ever meeting between the two schools
The Tigers are up against their biggest challenge of the season. On Saturday, Clemson will walk into a hostile environment in Austin, Texas. A game of College Football Playoffs will be played in a schoolâs home field for the first time and DKR Stadium will surely be up for the task.
Ironically, for Klubnik, he will be entering unexplored territory just miles away from where he grew up. The stadium will be filled with familiar faces, yet Klubnik will be alone with his teammates, facing a sea of burnt orange.
Clemson and Texas will face each other for the first time in programsâ history. The stage couldnât be any bigger. The winner will move on to the CFP Quarterfinal at the 57th Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, where No. 4 Arizona State awaits.
