Clemson’s quarterback race is still wide open, and Dabo Swinney made that clear after the Tigers’ first scrimmage of the 2026 season.
Junior Christopher Vizzina and freshman Tait Reynolds are locked in a close battle to replace Cade Klubnik, who was drafted by the New York Jets. After Clemson’s closed scrimmage at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 15, Swinney said neither quarterback separated himself in a way that changed the picture.
“There was nothing that disappointed me as far as their ability to run the offense and make plays,” Swinney said. “They all (including freshman Chris Denson) made big plays. CV and Tait made some nice plays with their legs.”
That part of the competition is a big deal for Clemson. Klubnik ran for 21 touchdowns and 878 yards in his Tigers career, though just 84 of those yards came in his final season. Swinney said Vizzina and Reynolds both bring enough running ability to matter in the offense.
The two quarterbacks have been matched up all preseason, and Swinney said he likes what he’s seen from both of them on the move. Vizzina, listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, came to Clemson as a dual-threat quarterback and has spent the past two seasons behind Klubnik. Reynolds, a 6-2, 215-pound freshman who arrived in January, is already in the mix for the starting job.
“They're both big and they're both strong guys. They're both very capable,” Swinney said.
“The difference is that Tait is probably a little faster. Tait can run and he can score.
CV can get you a big chain mover.”
Clemson has another closed scrimmage set for Aug. 20, and the opener is coming fast: Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. against LSU in Baton Rouge. Clemson is No. 23 in the US LMB Coaches Poll, while LSU is No. 13.
Swinney also drew a comparison between Vizzina and Tajh Boyd, Clemson’s quarterback coach and former Tigers star who played from 2010-13. Boyd led Clemson to the 2011 ACC championship and was the conference player of the year in 2012.
Boyd finished his Clemson career with 1,165 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns, along with 11,904 passing yards and 107 passing touchdowns. Swinney sees some of that same edge in Vizzina.
“Tajh was a pretty good runner around here,” Swinney said. “He made a lot of tough first downs.
CV's got those characteristics. He's a tough kid.
He's a big ol' dude. He's pretty athletic.
He's going to run way better than people will want him to.”
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