Clemson QB Gets Surprising Ranking in Special Category

After losing Cade Klubnik to the NFL this offseason, the Clemson Tigers should have thought about hitting the transfer portal and bringing in a promising quarterback with experience to pair with new offensive coordinator Chad Morris. 

After all, the Tigers had a proud history of putting quarterbacks in the league when they were on top of the college football world. The college careers of Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence should inspire recruits.

Instead, head coach Dabo Swinney chose to save money at quarterback, using funds for the transfer portal on reloading the defense.

The Tigers will enter training camp with a battle between Klubnik's understudy last year, Christopher Vizzina, and true freshman Tait Reynolds. 

After sitting behind Cade Klubnik for three seasons, Vizzina gets his crack at the starting job. A four-star prospect from the Class of 2023, he's attempted 105 passes in reserve duty over the years.

David Cobb of CBS Sports appears to be predicting Vizzina to win the quarterback battle (though Reynolds had a strong performance during his 15 practices in the spring). He ranked Vizzina as the top quarterback earning a promotion this year, putting him above  KJ Jackson of Arkansas, Alessio Milivojevic of Michigan State, Cole Ballard of Kansas, and Jeremy Hecklinski of Iowa.

Still, Vizzina has to earn the job. Swinney recently suggested Vizzina is the frontrunner headed into training camp.

“We came out of the spring, CV one and Tait is two [on the depth chart]. It’s not close. Those two guys separated, and that’s where we are. That’s just where we are,” Swinney said.

“So, we’re coming out of spring with some clarity. I think we needed that. The team needed that, the players needed that, and I think they all knew that. So, coming out of it now with two clear guys, we can go into the summer.”

The Tigers also need a quarterback that can not only win the competition in camp, but win games this fall. It's unclear if Vizzina or Reynolds can do that yet, but there is some hope that Vizzina has a high ceiling after working with an NFL quarterback.