From Westlake to the Shrine Bowl: Cade Klubnik and Ethan Burke Cross Paths Again on the Road to the NFL
FRISCO - It’s not every day that two former high school teammates meet again on a national stage, but that’s exactly what happened when Cade Klubnik and Ethan Burke found themselves face-to-face during the 2024 College Football Playoff. And if that moment at Royal-Memorial Stadium felt like a full-circle collision, just wait for the encore at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
In that CFP matchup between Clemson and Texas, Burke - now a disruptive edge rusher for the Longhorns - broke through the Tigers' offensive line on a stunt. Klubnik, Clemson’s quarterback and his old Westlake High School teammate, spotted him just a beat too late.
The result? A sack that ended with Burke roaring toward the Texas crowd and Klubnik picking himself up off the turf.
So when Klubnik learned he’d be sharing the field with Burke again this week, he couldn’t help but laugh - and maybe cringe a little.
“I don’t really want to go up against him, because I know how good a player he is,” Klubnik admitted.
Burke’s sack numbers this past season - three in 12 games - won’t jump off the page, and they’ve likely kept him out of the top-tier edge rusher conversation heading into the draft. But anyone watching him in Shrine Bowl practices this week knows the numbers don’t tell the full story. At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, Burke has been a nightmare for offensive linemen, combining length, power, and refined technique to dominate both in drills and live reps.
He’s been one of the most talked-about players at the Ford Center since arriving - a clear riser with something to prove.
Burke’s journey is a winding one. He only started one full season in high school, but he made it count, helping Westlake secure a third straight Class 6A state championship in 2021 at AT&T Stadium. Now, back in the Dallas area, he’s feeling right at home.
“It’s been a long journey,” Burke said. “I enjoy Dallas - really fun city, and I seem to have some success here as well.”
Klubnik’s story, meanwhile, has taken a different turn. After a promising 2023 season that included 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns, expectations were sky-high for both him and Clemson heading into 2024. He was once the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the country, and his 336-yard, three-touchdown performance in the playoff loss to Texas only added to the buzz.
But this past season didn’t go as planned. Klubnik’s numbers dipped to 2,914 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Clemson stumbled to a 7-6 finish.
Yes, he played two fewer games, but the drop-off was noticeable - and it wasn’t all on him. The Tigers struggled across the board and never quite found their rhythm.
Still, Klubnik found a silver lining in how the team closed the year.
“Four straight wins at the end of the year,” he said. “And a group of extremely great leaders that never pointed fingers, never bantered or chirped.”
For a quarterback who won three Texas high school state titles and two ACC championships, this season brought a different kind of challenge - one that tested his resilience more than his arm. And that kind of experience can carry weight with NFL evaluators looking beyond the stat sheet.
As for the NFL Draft, Burke and Klubnik are on two very different trajectories. Burke is trending upward with a strong Shrine Bowl week, while Klubnik is trying to regain the momentum that once made him one of the most talked-about young quarterbacks in the country.
But for now, they’ll share the field once more - not as teammates, but as competitors. And even if Burke gets another shot at taking down his old QB, there’s nothing but respect between the two.
“I know he’ll get the job done,” Burke said. “And hopefully see him in the future again.”