At the start of the offseason newsletter cycle, Garrett Nussmeier was the initial write up of this section as I called him the “number one player” on the initial 2026 draft board. While that statement remains true, one guy is creeping his way up with the more film study I take on. Klubik, entering his third season as a starter, has a better set of tools and has proven to play some of his best football when it matters most. He has two ACC Championship MVP awards to his name with another season to go and he scored nine touchdowns over his final three games last season.
As of now, the hot names at the position in regard to the 2026 NFL Draft who played over 20% of snaps last season are:
Klubnik, Nussmeier, LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), Drew Allar (Penn State), Nico Iamaleava (UCLA). Where does Klubnik rank in key passing metrics I pay attention to?
TDs: 1st
INTs: 5th (lowest number of INTs)
Yards per attempt: 5th
Big time throws: 1st
Turnover worthy passes: 3rd
Adjusted Completion %: 2nd
Pressure to sack %: 3rd
NFL passer rating: 2nd
It is clear Klubnik ranks at or near the top of the stable passing metrics. As I start to look deeper into the unstable metrics (pressure, deep passing, playaction), Klubnik was the best under pressure by a notable margin and either the best or second best when throwing 20+ yards downfield. And lastly when it comes to being an athlete, very few can match Klubnik’s blend of speed and quickness. He is twitched up from head to toe and it helps him extend plays, get the ball out fast, and adjust on the fly. He is an athlete who can use his legs to create more passing opportunities but also can get chunk gains as a rusher. He has 32 runs of 10+ yards over the past two seasons with 32 missed tackles forced. These are uncommon numbers for a quarterback who is not run-first. Knowing he has that weapon in his arsenal will change how defenses plan for him and that is something a prospect like Nussmeier does not bring to the table.
Klubnik suffered from 29 drops by his receivers in 2024, one of the highest in the country. Just take some of those away on top of the progression we assume will come, it is hard not to put him in any top ten projection of the 2026 NFL Draft. And yes, he is undoubtedly in the discussion for the #1 overall prospect.