Cade Klubnik has only been teammates with Gideon Davidson for a short time, but Clemson’s star quarterback has already been impressed by the talented true freshman running back.
Following Monday’s practice, Klubnik discussed what he’s seen so far from Davidson, the explosive national award-winner who enrolled at Clemson in January following a highly productive prep career on Virginia state title teams.
“Gideon looks good,” Klubnik said. “He’s smooth. His cuts, they’re elite. That first step and acceleration once he gets to the line, it’s quick and it’s sudden.”
From watching Davidson to this point in his very young Clemson career, Klubnik is reminded of a legendary former Clemson running back, who wore the same No. 9 that Davidson is now sporting as a Tiger.
Klubnik has never shared the field with Travis Etienne, of course, but that’s who Klubnik compared Davidson to.
“I didn’t play with Travis, but it looks kind of like Travis Etienne,” Klubnik said.
The ACC’s all-time leading rusher, Etienne ran for 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns while racking up 1,155 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions over 55 games in his career as a Tiger from 2017-20, before going on to be selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round (25th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
As for Davidson, he was a unanimous four-star prospect regarded as one of the top running backs in the nation for the 2025 recruiting class. The Liberty Christian Academy product helped his team to an undefeated season and a second straight state championship in 2024, when he was credited with 2,054 rushing yards on 223 attempts (9.2-yard average) with 34 rushing touchdowns.
Davidson was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Virginia, as well as MaxPreps Virginia High School Football Player of the Year.
Klubnik is just one of many players and coaches that have been impressed with Davidson this spring.
“What I’ve seen of him, it’s cool,” Klubnik said. “He looks really, really good.”