Considered one of the top returning quarterbacks in 2025, Cade Klubnik has also been a big name in the NIL space. The Clemson quarterback was also able to capitalize with multiple high-profile deals this offseason.
Klubnik was a senior at Austin (TX) Westlake when NIL came to be in 2021. He then arrived at Clemson, beginning his career as the primary backup behind DJ Uiagalelei before assuming the starting job in 2023. But 2024 proved to be a breakout year for the former five-star recruit – both on and off the field – and his On3 NIL Valuation currently sits at $2.8 million.
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As he navigated the ever-changing landscape, Klubnik compared himself to a “guinea pig” considering his arrival in college football as the NIL era started to take off. But even though he could sign NIL deals and capitalize off the field, he wanted to keep the same approach when he stepped onto the gridiron.
“I think everybody really handles it differently,” Klubnik told reporters. “For me, I didn’t grow up dreaming to play college football to go make money. That wasn’t me. I grew up dreaming to play college football to go play college football and run out in the stadium of 100,000 fans. That’s what I dreamed of. I feel like I’m a guinea pig in this whole NIL era. … It happened before my senior year of high school, it got announced. I didn’t really have to deal with it in the recruiting process, but I feel like every year, it’s been different. It’s been an interesting journey.
“I feel like I’ve handled it really well in terms of, football is No. 1 for me. You go ask anybody that. Family, agent, whatever it is. I’m not messing with any of that stuff anytime close to the season. That’s all in May and June. It doesn’t affect me, or even January.”
Cade Klubnik wants to ‘continue to just love the game’
Throughout the offseason, Cade Klubnik has signed NIL deals with brands such as Rhoback, Celsius and Collegiate Legends – the latter of which gave him a custom action figure. His $2.8 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 10 in the college football NIL rankings and No. 12 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and de facto NIL ranking of the Top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.
As he reflected on NIL’s impact on college football, Klubnik said it’s now part of the sport. His mentality remains focusing on the task at hand, which is winning football games. That, in turn, means letting the off-field ventures handle themselves.
“It’s part of the game now,” Klubnik said. “It’s not necessarily that I asked for – it’s just kind of something that’s happened. … But it is something that’s happened and I think that different people handle it differently. I feel like we’ve done a really good job of handling it here.
“We’ve just got to continue to just love the game, man. That’s kind of what I started off this answer with. Just find the joy of the game. That’s really what it comes down to. … Just enjoy the game every single week and go play free and make it fun.”