Clemson’s quarterback picture is finally starting to come into focus, and Christopher Vizzina is the name at the top of it. After waiting his turn behind Cade Klubnik, the veteran Tiger is headed into fall camp as the clear favorite to take over the offense.
Not everyone is sold, though. One anonymous ACC staffer offered a pretty blunt read on Vizzina this week: “He’s just OK,” that ACC staffer said of Vizzina, .
“Obviously, another year and him finally being the guy and getting more reps isn’t gonna hurt him. But he didn’t do anything where I’m like, ‘Oh my, I’m scared of him.’”
That assessment came in The Athletic’s annual quarterback tier rankings, which evaluate all 138 projected FBS starters before the season. Vizzina checked in at No. 53 overall and landed in Tier 4.
The Athletic described that group as: “Some of the stars of tomorrow, like inexperienced QBs who coaches believe in but lack a proven resume, and there are also veterans who are looking to redeem themselves and journeymen looking to make the most of their last stops.”
Vizzina was one of several ACC quarterbacks placed in that tier. The list also included Syracuse’s Steve Angeli at No.
44, Virginia Tech’s Ethan Grunkemeyer at No. 45, Virginia’s Beau Pribula at No.
46, Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez at No. 48, Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz at No. 54 and Duke’s Walker Eget at No.
For Clemson, the job is Vizzina’s to lose as camp approaches. Dabo Swinney has called him the “pole position” guy heading into fall camp, and he’ll open at the top of the depth chart. But true freshman Tait Reynolds has already made noise in the spring and kept that pressure on through summer workouts, so the competition isn’t going away quietly.
Vizzina is now in his fourth season in orange, and the numbers show a quarterback who has been around the program and made the most of limited chances. In 14 career games, he has completed 61 percent of his passes for 596 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He’s also added 109 rushing yards and a touchdown on 38 carries.
The Athletic summed up the situation this way: “It’s rare these days to see a quarterback wait three years for a starting opportunity, but Vizzina is poised to get his chance this fall - if he holds off freshman Tait Reynolds,” The Athletic wrote. “Vizzina is inexperienced but looks the part and can move a bit. He’ll be tutored by new-but-familiar OC Chad Morris, who will try to get the Clemson offense back to an elite level.”
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