Cade Klubnik Benching Isn't 'Close' amid Clemson's 1-3 Record, Says OC

Clemson isn't "close" to benching starting quarterback Cade Klubnik amid the Tigers' 1-3 start, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley told reporters on Tuesday.

The senior signal-caller has completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 996 yards (6.7 yards per attempt), six touchdowns and four interceptions in four games. He's also rushed for 60 yards and one more score.

Clemson began the year as the No. 4 team in the Associated Press poll, but the Tigers haven't looked the part thus far.

The Tigers opened the season with a 17-10 home loss to LSU, the current No. 4 team in the AP poll. It was a disappointing loss, but a conceivable one given LSU's strength this year.

However, Clemson then struggled at home to put away Troy, falling behind 16-0 before winning 27-16. Troy is 92nd in Division I FBS in the Sagarin ratings and just 1-2 against FBS opponents this year.

The Tigers then fell 24-21 on the road to Georgia Tech before returning home against Syracuse, which thoroughly outclassed Clemson in a 34-21 defeat.

For the season, Clemson ranks 114th out of 136 Division I-FBS teams in scoring (19.8 PPG). Klubnik has taken a dip from last year, when he was excellent with 36 touchdowns (to just six interceptions) alongside 3,639 passing yards (7.5 YPA) and a 63.4 percent completion rate. He led the 2024 Tigers to an ACC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Clemson, which is 0-2 to start conference play, would have to win the remainder of its six ACC games to even have a shot at fighting for the conference championship (and a CFP berth). Given how Clemson has started the campaign, that looks unlikely, even with the talent on the roster that led to people believing in the Tigers' title chances before the season.

The Tigers have to do something different, but a change at quarterback appears off the table. Head coach Dabo Swinney was asked if the Tigers considered a mid-game change during the Syracuse loss, and it's clear the team did not.

"We didn't. I thought Cade competed his butt off," Swinney told reporters (h/t Nick Kosko of On3).

"And, you know, he certainly missed a couple plays, but he made some good ones too. Made a lot of good ones. I thought he was good in the first half. Just couldn't really get the ball and … no, I did not. We did not think about that."

Clemson has a bye week to regroup after a tough start before facing another team with its fair share of struggles in UNC, which is off to an even 2-2 start under first-year head coach Bill Belichick.