Clemson Has a Quarterback Competition This Spring

Clemson is gearing up to start spring practices. This means that the competition for the Tigers’ starting quarterback spot will also be ramping up. It’s been a while since Dabo Swinney had a true race for the position. He’s typically had a successor who is prepared to take over. After struggling to find consistency with the likes of DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik, handing the position to the next guy up looks to be the wrong move. 

Finishing last season 7-6 also forced Swinney and his staff to change how they approach their roster management. Entering the 2025 season, it was almost a no-brainer who the starting quarterback after Klubnik would be. However, after how poorly last season went, the position is going to be tougher to earn. 

Current Front Runner 

Christopher Vizzina has been the next man up to be the Tigers’ starting quarterback since he arrived on campus. The rising redshirt junior has been the backup for Cade Klubnik the past two years. He was a former top-50 recruit, and only one of two quarterbacks Clemson offered in the class of 2023. 

Vizzina has played sparingly over his first few years in the program. He’s completed 61% of his passes for 596 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in his career so far. The talent can be seen in his minimal appearances, but he plays timidly at times. It makes it hard for him to truly make a huge impact on a game, especially when he is not getting many reps. 

In games such as the ones against Furman and Boston College, the offense stalled a bit when Vizzina entered the game. Against Boston College, Vizzina threw for -2 yards and an interception. In the game against Furman, Vizzina completed just 9 of his 15 passes. He was able to throw a touchdown pass after getting the ball back on a short field, but there wasn’t much else to be excited about. 

Vizzina’s best performance by far, though, is in the only start of his career so far.  Klubnik was ruled out against SMU in October, giving Vizzina his first start. He shone in the game, even though it ended in a loss. Vizzina completed 69% of his passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns. If Vizzina performs like that this spring and carries it into the regular season, he will be the unquestioned starter for the 2026 season. 

Climbing the Ranks

The player who’s really making it a competition for the top spot on the depth chart is redshirt freshman Chris Denson. The former three-star prospect from the 2025 recruiting class worked his way up the depth chart as a redshirt in his true freshman season. He got one opportunity to touch the field late in the season, and immediately became the fan favorite to win the position battle for 2026. 

Denson’s performance against Furman was the most electrifying part of Clemson’s 2025 season. The freshman completed all four of his pass attempts for 22 yards and a touchdown through the air. He also ran the ball six times for 106 yards and another touchdown. 

It may not have been against the best competition, but he gave the offense a jolt of life after they struggled for two straight quarters. He had the best offensive performance of the night in his first-ever appearance. If Denson continues to develop at the rate he is, Vizzina will have trouble staying in the lead for long. 

The Young Guys

Vizzina and Denson aren’t the only ones competing to be the starter this season. Two freshmen arrived on campus for the spring with intentions to compete for the job as well. 

Tait Reynolds was a four-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. The dual-sport athlete was both a top-10 quarterback in the 2026 football class as well as a top-100 prospect in baseball. Reynolds is a true dual-threat quarterback, with a strong arm and enough speed to break off long runs on a scramble. The Arizona Cardinals named Reynolds the 2024 Player of the Year in Arizona. He’ll need to show that talent at the collegiate level, starting with a productive first spring.

Coming in early with Reynolds to compete for the starting quarterback spot is Brock Bradley. The three-star commit from Alabama comes to Clemson already knowing how to win. Bradley is the winningest quarterback in Spain Park High School history. He threw for 7,600 yards in his high school career as well. 

Bradley is used to winning and has an idea of how to do so, but can he do it on the collegiate level? Time will tell. But if he shows he can be trusted to lead the team to victory, Bradley could continue building on an impressive football resume.