Burke, following a stunt set by his teammate, shot through the Clemson offensive line. Klubnik noticed too late, and a half-second later, the Tigers’ quarterback was lying on the DKR turf, Burke screaming toward the Longhorns faithful.

So, although Klubnik said he was glad to catch up with Burke at the Shrine Bowl, he wasn’t exactly thrilled knowing that he’d be facing him again in Tuesday’s East-West game.

“I don’t really want to go up against him, because I know how good a player he is,” Klubnik said.

Burke’s production this past season at Texas — three sacks in 12 games — might’ve contributed to his lower draft stock, as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him outside of his top 10 edge rushers. However, Burke’s been the talk of Ford Center since the moment he arrived. He’s been unstoppable in Shrine Bowl drills and in live game reps, as he uses his combination of size (6-foot-6, 260), strength and technique to overwhelm offensive linemen.

The Texas-ex started just one full season in high school, but made good on it by helping Westlake to its third consecutive Class 6A state championship in 2021 at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.

“It’s been a long journey,” Burke said. “I enjoy Dallas  —  really fun city, and I seem to have some success here as well.”

Meanwhile, Klubnik has seen a precipitous fall from grace. Although Clemson lost to Texas in that 2024 CFP first-round game, Klubnik put up 336 yards and three touchdowns. That, along with his pedigree as a former top-two quarterback prospect according to 247Sports’ composite, led to a tremendous amount of preseason hype for Klubnik and the Tigers.

A year after throwing for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns, Klubnik’s numbers dropped to 2,914 yards and 16 touchdowns, albeit with two fewer games played. The quarterback was far from the only issue, and Clemson never met the moment, finishing 7-6 overall. 

The three-time Texas high school football state champion and two-time ACC champion never had to face adversity like he did this season. And while the Tigers fell short, Klubnik said he is proud of how the team finished their season.

“Four straight wins at the end of the year,” Klubnik said. “And a group of extremely great leaders that never pointed fingers, never bantered or chirped.”

The paths Burke and Klubnik have taken toward the NFL draft have varied wildly. The chances they find themselves reliving their days as Westlake teammates in the NFL are slim. But Burke has nothing but good wishes for his former quarterback, even if he ends up sacking him again during Tuesday’s game.

“I know he’ll get the job done, and hopefully see him in the future again,” Burke said.