Rookie Love Bomb: Cade Klubnik and more QBs NFL fans shouldn't fall for

Every year it happens like clockwork. NFL fans convince themselves that [insert name of rookie QB] is "the guy." I get it. The NFL offseason is all about hype. Shiny new toys are exciting (and everyone looks great throwing against air). But I'm first and foremost a college football fan. I've seen all these guys in full pads against an actual pass rush. I've seen them when the lights were at their brightest and all their warts were illuminated.

Don't get me wrong, there are guys who slip through the cracks. Mid-round gems and late-round success stories exist. Sometimes "the guy" is the one who flew under the radar. Just remember: For every Tom Brady or Brock Purdy, there are hundreds of QBs fans fell in love with, only to realize there was nothing there.

Cade Klubnik, Jets

Cade Klubnik looks the part. He always has. A former five-star, he was the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2022. Clemson fans begged for him to start over DJ Uiagalelei during his freshman year and he ultimately took the job. He was supposed to take the Tigers back to the top. He was supposed to be the next Trevor Lawrence...

Guess what, he wasn't. Klubnik was mediocre in his first season as a full-time starter. He was actually pretty good in 2024, tossing 36 touchdowns with just six interceptions. That was his peak. And for the record, his passer rating against teams with winning records that season was a lowly 125.21. He regressed in 2025 along with the Tigers. So maybe he was just in a bad situation and never had the platform he needed to truly shine. I'm just not buying it.

Klubnik never lived up to expectations in college. Sometimes a better situation is all it takes to unlock a QB's potential. Are the Jets, with their long history of QB futility, that situation? All the aura in the world can't save Klubnik.

Drew Allar, Steelers

Klubnik was the No. 1 QB in the class of 2022, according to the 247Sports composite. But 247Sports' internal ratings actually favored a different quarterback that year: Drew Allar.

Allar landed with Penn State and won the starting job in 2023. He did remarkably well for a first-year starter; PFF graded him fifth among Big Ten passers behind the likes of Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams. That's not a bad group to trail. And what a coincidence, he was fifth in the Big Ten again in 2024. Which points us towards the main problem with Allar: He's good, he's fine, he's...nothign special.

Nothing about Allar's career suggests he's got "it." He led a consistently strong team that could never get over the hump. Head coach James Franklin took much of the blame for that, but his quarterback didn't do him many favors. Allar's career passer rating against ranked teams in college was 114.25. The best Power 4 win in his career was over SMU.

Maybe Mike McCarthy can defy the odds and work his magic on Allar. He does have a useful skillset. He's far from a mess. He's also got career backup written all over him, at best.

Carson Beck, Cardinals

Listen, the Arizona Cardinals have one of the most uninspiring quarterback rooms in the NFL this year. Jacoby Brissett is a serviceable journeyman. So is Gardner Minshew. Neither should be a full-time starting quarterback for an NFL franchise in 2026. Kedon Slovis isn't going to suddenly transform into a butterfly. With all that in mind, I totally understand why Carson Beck looks like the closest thing to a savior the Cardinals have. I'm just here to make sure desperation doesn't morph into delusion.

Like the other guys we've talked about here. Beck is fine. He's better than fine, actually, after leading Miami to the brink of a championship. Even then, the Hurricanes just needed a QB not to screw them over with their elite defense and stout rushing attack driving the ship.

Beck wasn't a sure thing coming out of high school, but he was well-rated as a top 300 four-star. He waited his turn patiently at Georgia sitting behind JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett before taking over the starting job in 2023. PFF ranked him fifth nationally in passing that season. But he didn't get UGA to the playoff. The following year, a slew of multi-interception games had fans murmuring about Gunnar Stockton as a better option who could spark the offense. They got their wish after Beck hurt his elbow against Texas in the SEC title game. Beck was effectively Wally Pipped in that one and transferred to Miami.

The move worked out beautifully for Beck, but it mostly reinforced the perception that his ceiling was as a game manager. He made a difference for the Canes but he wasn't the difference.

Again, game managers can succeed in the NFL, but a quarterback without that special factor needs to land in exactly the right spot. Beck doesn't have that something to elevate the Cardinals, especially not with OC Nathaniel Hackett running the show.

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