Cade Klubnik's high school coach on first Clemson football start in Orange Bowl: 'He’s been built for this'

CLEMSON – Todd Dodge’s wife, Elizabeth, saw Cade Klubnik’s potential long before her husband did.

Thank goodness she clued him in on the rising athletic talent in her fifth-grade class at Eanes Elementary.

Dodge, then the football coach at Westlake High School, remembers that day back in 2014 well.

“She said, ‘I don’t know how long you plan on staying here, but we may want to stay through the graduation of this fifth-grade class. I’ve never seen a bunch that loves to play ball like they do,’ ” Dodge recalled.

The leader of the bunch was a kid named Cade Klubnik.

Turns out, Dodge's wife had quite the eye for talent.

Several years later, Klubnik began compiling a 34-0 record as a starting quarterback at Westlake and three consecutive state championships. A two-time USA TODAY Offensive Player of the Year, he chose Clemson over offers from more than 30 of the nation’s top programs.

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As his freshman season with the Tigers winds down, Klubnik is poised to make the first start of his career – in the Orange Bowl, no less. No. 7 Clemson (11-2) is set to face No. 6 Tennessee (10-2) in the game, which is set for Dec. 30 (8 p.m., ESPN) in Miami.

Dodge is convinced that the moment won’t overwhelm his former pupil.

“He’s been built for this,” Dodge said. “Will there by first-game jitters? Sure there will be, but it won’t be too big for him.

“He’s been on the biggest stage in high school and played in front of 45,000 people in a high school state championship game. He was the best player in our state for two years in the highest classification in our state.”

Klubnik took center stage for the first time at Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, entering the game in relief of DJ Uiagalelei and instantly injecting life into a stagnant offense.

He guided Clemson on four consecutive scoring drives, and the Tigers never looked back en route to a 39-10 victory.

Klubnik completed 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown while leading the team in rushing with 30 yards and another touchdown on seven attempts.

After the game, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney confirmed that Klubnik would start in the Orange Bowl.

Again, no surprise to Dodge.

“When he comes into a game, he’s a guy who’s full of energy and full of leadership,” Dodge said. “He’s such an encouraging presence. People gravitate to him.”

Such was the case in the ACC Championship Game.

“His body language was elite,” Dodge said. “His eyes were great and so was his presence at the line of scrimmage. I don’t know if you could have a better quarterback for a tempo offense. You talk about getting people going? He’s perfect at it.

“And he’s an unbelievable distributor of the football. He’s one of those kids who never thinks he’s arrived, so he keeps working at it.”

No question there.

“I’ve prepared like I’m the starter every week,” Klubnik said. “I feel like I got better every day and that has been my mindset since I got here. Why waste a day?”

Klubnik apparently hasn’t, and Dodge also believes that Klubnik has benefited from being eased into the lineup and not expected to take the reins from Day 1 in the program.

“So happy the way that has happened,” Dodge said. “There have been too many true freshman quarterbacks that have been thrown to the wolves before they’re ready. Dabo knows when they’re ready. Everything has been a building block for what Cade did the other night.”

There’s no limit for Klubnik, says Dodge, who won’t be surprised if he keeps Clemson in the national championship hunt over the next few seasons.

“He’s a very good athlete, to start, and he works at it like no other,” Dodge said. “It’s cliché, but he’s the first one on the field and last one off. I don’t know if it’s intentional, it’s just who he is.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him have a bad day – at least that he lets anybody know about. It was nice to have a leader who embraced every day. He has all those intangibles that the people at Clemson are just starting to see.”

And Elizabeth Dodge saw all those years ago.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Cade Klubnik high school coach on Orange Bowl start