Clemson’s quarterback race is still alive, and Dabo Swinney made that much clear in Charlotte.
The Tigers did not bring a quarterback to ACC media days, but the most important battle on their roster traveled with Swinney anyway. Christopher Vizzina remains the leading candidate to take over for Cade Klubnik, though Swinney would not officially shut the door on true freshman Tait Reynolds.
Vizzina has spent three seasons waiting for this opening. He has played in 14 games and thrown 105 passes, and his lone start came last November against SMU. In that game, he went 29 of 42 for 317 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-24 loss.
Clemson could have gone shopping in the transfer portal after Klubnik left for the NFL. Instead, Swinney stayed inside the building and put his trust in the quarterbacks already there.
"We all know the magnitude of these decisions. We're not stupid," Swinney said.
"But that's why we didn't go get the big shiny object out of the portal. We believe in (Vizzina).
But we also believe in Tait. He's a high-level dude, now.
He's special."
For now, the Tigers are letting the competition breathe. Swinney said neither quarterback has much college experience, and he is willing to let the process run before settling on an opening-day starter.
"Neither one of them have great experience, so at the end of the day, if CV's 1, he'll run out there first," Swinney said. "If Tait's 1, he'll run out there first. We just have to go through the process and see how it all works out."
Whoever wins the job will have to learn fast. Clemson is coming off a 7-6 season and opens Sept. 5 at LSU.
Virginia Tech, meanwhile, believes it has already won part of the battle before the games even begin.
James Franklin, who arrived with a reputation for rebuilding programs and reshaping rosters, said the Hokies’ offseason has gone about as well as he could have hoped. He pointed to the work of installing standards, expectations and culture as a major early victory.
"I think I would describe it as I think we have won the offseason," Franklin said. "We've had a great offseason in terms of implementing our standards and our expectations and our culture."
The Hokies are trying to climb out of a 3-9 season, their worst since 1992, and they have not finished with more than seven wins since 2019. Franklin said the roster is bigger, stronger and faster, with enough depth to compete. But he also knows that none of that matters unless it shows up once the season starts.
"All that's great. That sounds great in a press conference, it's a good sound bite," Franklin said. "The reality is we have to make sure all that translates to the season."
Franklin’s choice to keep former Hokies head coach Brent Pry as defensive coordinator has helped smooth the transition. He praised Pry’s ties to the school and the community, while noting that the program has to balance its history with the realities of modern college football.
Virginia Tech opens against VMI on Sept. 5.
Louisville is taking the opposite approach to easy answers. Jeff Brohm’s team will face 11 Power Four opponents, beginning with a neutral-site matchup against Ole Miss in Nashville on Sept. 6, and Brohm said that kind of slate is exactly what the Cardinals want.
"We think that's what college football's all about," Brohm said. "That will challenge our football team. Definitely what fans want to see, players and coaches want to prepare for."
The Cardinals are expected to turn to Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback after he spent three seasons buried in a crowded Buckeyes room. Brohm said Kienholz brings mobility, playmaking and patience, and he sounded eager to see what that combination can do.
"We're really excited about Lincoln. I think when you look for quarterback play, you look for guys, in my opinion, that are hungry first, that are willing to put in the work," Brohm said.
"I think he brings us some dimensions and skills that we have not had before. He's a great athlete.
He can run. He can extend plays.
He can throw on the run. And he enjoys doing that."
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