Christopher Vizzina is back on the practice field, but Clemson still isn’t ready to hand him the backup quarterback job.
Dabo Swinney said Tuesday that Vizzina is throwing and practicing after the senior suffered a small left elbow fracture on Sept. 12 against Georgia Southern. Even so, Swinney made it clear that Trent Pearman would be the Tigers’ No. 2 quarterback against Miami if Clemson needs one.
“He's still not 100 percent on his left arm, so if he plays, he plays with a brace on it to protect it,” Swinney said. “But it's really more just the range of motion for him, kind of getting that back fully. But it's gotten a little better each day.”
Swinney added that Vizzina could be available in an emergency, though he was not included in the initial ACC availability report on Sept. 30.
The senior has completed 14 passes for 102 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions this season. He entered preseason camp battling freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting job, and Vizzina won that competition heading into Week 1.
His season has already taken several turns. Vizzina played three drives in Clemson’s 22-7 win over Georgia Southern before Reynolds stepped in.
Before that, the two had split work in the 51-10 loss to LSU. Reynolds was then named the starter after the Georgia Southern game, but Swinney said that move had nothing to do with Vizzina’s injury.
Vizzina was listed as a game-time decision in the final availability report before Clemson’s Sept. 19 win over North Carolina, then disappeared from the final report entirely before the Sept. 25 win at Cal. On the depth chart released for Miami, he was listed as Clemson’s backup quarterback.
Reynolds has gone 521 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in two career starts and four total games.
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