By: Ethan Horner
(Photo/Chad Price-The Mojo Network)
Clemson opened fall camp this week with one of the biggest questions surrounding the program still unanswered: Who will take over as the Tigers’ starting quarterback?
The competition currently features redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina and true freshman Tait Reynolds. While Vizzina enters fall camp with an early advantage, head coach Dabo Swinney has made it clear that the position remains up for grabs.
Vizzina has spent the past several seasons developing within Clemson’s program and chose to remain with the Tigers rather than enter the transfer portal. Swinney believes that decision has caused Vizzina to receive less attention than he might have if he had transferred elsewhere.
“If he had gone into the portal, he’d be the greatest thing ever in the portal,” Swinney said Thursday, pointing out that Vizzina likely would have received significant praise as a transfer quarterback.
Despite the outside criticism, Vizzina has continued to work toward earning the starting job. His collegiate experience is limited, with just one career start to his name, but that performance showed some of the potential Clemson believes he possesses.
We were in attendance for Vizzina’s lone career start against SMU, where the Birmingham, Alabama, native put together an impressive performance. He finished with 300 passing yards and three touchdowns while also making plays with his legs. Although Clemson ultimately fell to SMU, Vizzina’s performance provided a glimpse of what he could bring to the Tigers’ offense if given the starting role.
His work during the spring also helped put him in front of Reynolds entering fall camp. Swinney praised Vizzina’s preparation, conditioning and growing command of the offense, saying the quarterback had taken greater ownership of his role within the program.
That progress has given Vizzina what Swinney described as the early “pole position” in the competition. However, the coaching staff still expects him to prove he deserves the job throughout August.
Clemson has roughly a month to settle the quarterback position before traveling to Baton Rouge to face LSU. With the Tigers opening the season against one of the nation’s most recognizable programs, Swinney wants the quarterback who gives Clemson the best chance to win, regardless of experience or seniority.
The competition also comes with considerable expectations because of Clemson’s history at quarterback under Swinney. The Tigers have relied on accomplished quarterbacks such as Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Cade Klubnik during his tenure, with each helping lead Clemson to major postseason success.
Swinney believes the next quarterback to emerge from the competition has the potential to continue that tradition. He noted that every quarterback who has signed with Clemson and eventually won the starting job during his tenure has gone on to win a championship.
That does not guarantee Vizzina or Reynolds will accomplish the same, but it highlights the standard waiting for whoever eventually wins the position.
For now, Vizzina has the advantage heading into the second half of the quarterback competition. Reynolds will have the remainder of fall camp to close the gap, while Vizzina will look to strengthen his case and turn his early lead into the starting job.
As Swinney put it, Vizzina still has to finish the race, but he enters the next stage of camp with the lead.