Clemson is turning back the clock-and hoping it leads them forward-by bringing back a familiar face to take the reins of the offense. Chad Morris, the architect behind some of the most explosive Clemson attacks in the early 2010s, is officially back as offensive coordinator. He replaces Garrett Riley, who was let go after a disappointing 2025 campaign, and steps into a program that’s searching for answers after a season that fell far short of expectations.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a nostalgia play. Morris brings a clear identity and vision for what Clemson’s offense will look like in 2026. It’s physical, it’s aggressive, and it’s built to take shots downfield.
“We are a two-back, run-oriented, play-action shot football team that’s gonna take great pride in pushing the ball down the field,” Morris said during his formal re-introduction. “We wanna push the ball down the field (25 yards) at least three times a quarter. Chart it, track it, figure it out, and get the ball to our playmakers.”
That’s a bold statement-and a welcome one for a program that struggled to find rhythm or consistency last season. Clemson finished 7-6, missing both the ACC Championship and the College Football Playoff despite entering the year with high expectations.
The offense was a major culprit. Despite having a senior quarterback in Cade Klubnik, a veteran offensive line, and talent at the skill positions, the Tigers averaged just 27.2 points per game-72nd in the FBS.
That’s a steep drop from the 34.7 points per game they posted the year before.
The run game was especially ineffective, averaging just 124.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked 105th nationally. Third-down conversions were another sore spot-Clemson converted just 34.3% of its attempts, ranking 113th. For a team built on physicality and execution, those numbers tell the story of a unit that never really found its identity.
Enter Morris, who’s no stranger to rebuilding Clemson’s offensive DNA. When he first arrived in 2011, he took over a team that had just gone 6-7 and was averaging 24 points per game.
By the end of that season, the Tigers were putting up 33.6 points per game and had captured their first ACC title in two decades. The following two seasons saw Clemson rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring-41 points per game in 2012 (6th) and 40.2 in 2013 (8th).
Even though things dipped in 2014, the Morris era laid the foundation for the offensive identity that helped launch Clemson into national prominence.
This time around, Morris is bringing a more balanced approach. He knows the game has evolved-tempo and spread concepts are no longer the novelty they were a decade ago.
Defenses have adjusted. So Morris plans to blend tempo with physicality, emphasizing a strong run game to set up explosive plays off play-action.
It’s a shift from the pass-heavy, finesse look that defined parts of Clemson’s offense in recent years.
And here’s the kicker: he’s doing it without a proven quarterback.
With Klubnik gone, Clemson chose not to pursue a transfer portal QB, instead putting its faith in a young and untested group. The current quarterback room includes Christopher Vizzina, Chris Denson, Hunter Helms, and freshmen Brock Bradley and Tait Reynolds. Between them, they’ve made just one career start-Vizzina got the nod against SMU last season when Klubnik was sidelined.
Still, Morris is bullish on the talent in the room.
“We’ve got an incredibly talented quarterback room. I really feel that way,” he said. “I know there’s teams across the country that would love to have the talent that’s sitting in that room.”
That confidence will need to translate quickly. Clemson’s 2025 season was the second-worst of Dabo Swinney’s 17-year tenure. And just like he did after the 2010 campaign, Swinney has gone back to a trusted lieutenant to right the ship.
“I’ve gone back to the future with Chad Morris,” Swinney said. “I got old Marty McFly right here next to me, and I’ll just say this: the reasons that I hired Chad in 2011 are the exact same reasons that I’ve hired him.”
It’s a full-circle moment for both coach and coordinator. Morris spent 2023 as an analyst at Clemson before taking a year off from coaching in 2025, during which he traveled and watched his son, Chandler, play at Virginia. That time away gave him a new perspective, but the goal remains the same: build an offense that can punch you in the mouth, then hit you over the top.
Clemson fans have seen what a Chad Morris offense can look like at full tilt. Now, with a fresh group of quarterbacks and a renewed commitment to the run game, the Tigers are hoping lightning can strike twice.