Dabo Swinney isn’t giving Clemson a clean answer at quarterback, and that’s only adding to the noise around a team already trying to steady itself after a rough opener.
Ahead of Saturday’s Week 2 game against Georgia Southern, Clemson listed Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds as co-starters on the depth chart. That came after Swinney used both quarterbacks in last weekend’s 51-10 loss at LSU, and he made it clear he plans to keep the battle under wraps.
“I’m not going to answer any of those things, other than that they’ll both play,” Swinney said about the ongoing quarterback battle between Vizzina and Reynolds ahead of Week 2. “The team ain’t worried about it.
The team’s just trying to focus on what they’ve got to do. They’re going to play for whoever runs out there.
They all know the situation: that the guys are competing. But they’ll both play.”
The numbers from Baton Rouge weren’t exactly calming. The two Clemson quarterbacks combined to go 14-of-22 for 105 yards with one interception.
Vizzina finished 10-of-16 for 83 yards and the pick, while Reynolds was 4-for-6 for 22 yards. Nine different players caught passes from the duo, but the overall performance did little to build confidence.
That’s why the co-starter setup feels like more than a depth-chart quirk. Clemson is heading toward ACC play with uncertainty at the game’s most important position, and the Tigers will host North Carolina next Saturday afternoon to open league play. UNC, the source noted, looked much better under Bill Belichick this year than last, and it also mentioned Vic Burley’s return as something Clemson could use.
There’s still a sense that Reynolds may be the more talented option, but Vizzina needs to show more, too, in what would likely be his third career start. The source made clear that he does not need to be the reason Clemson wins, but he can’t fade under pressure the way he did against LSU. Reynolds, meanwhile, is expected to eventually move ahead of him, even if for now the two are effectively neck-and-neck.
For now, Swinney’s refusal to name one clear starter only keeps the questions coming. Who runs out of the tunnel first?
Does it even matter? Those are the kinds of doubts Clemson can’t afford to carry into a game it should handle.
Georgia Southern has a proud football history, but it is not on Clemson’s level. An upset loss at home to Clay Helton’s team would only deepen the pressure around Swinney and his program. The Tigers need a clean performance, and it starts with competent quarterback play.
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