Could the Clemson Tigers have a quarterback controversy on their hands?

In the late moments of Clemson’s 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech Monday night, Dabo Swinney put in freshman QB Cade Klubnik for a drive. Klubnik engineered a 10-play, 66-yard drive where he went 4-for-6 and threw for 50 yards – and threw a touchdown pass, equaling the total number of scores starter DJ Uiagalelei had throughout the whole game.

Despite the electrifying performance, offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter insisted the team would not be switching quarterbacks.

“There is no question in my mind, no matter what you all think, DJ has earned the right to be the guy,” Streeter said, per ESPN. “And he did some good things that he didn’t do last year. It’s improvement.”

Uiagalelei struggled in the victory, throwing for 209 yards and a touchdown despite his team putting up 41 points. He had a disappointing season in 2021 despite being touted as the successor to Trevor Lawrence, completing 55 percent of his passes and throwing for nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 374 pass attempts. His 2021 debut wasn’t much better, as he struggled with accuracy throughout the contest.

Klubnik, meanwhile, is a five-star recruit and is widely assumed to be the heir apparent. Despite being a true freshman, the calls for him to be the starter are already growing.

Perhaps that happens sooner rather than later – even if it isn’t Week 2.