Paul Finebaum didn’t sound ready to buy into Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina on Monday, and he made that pretty clear while previewing Week 1 on SportsCenter.
With Clemson heading into Baton Rouge to face LSU this weekend, Finebaum was asked about the Tigers and the quarterback situation. Vizzina is being viewed as the favorite to start, but Finebaum dismissed the idea that Clemson is walking into this game with the kind of quarterback answer big programs need.
“I’d like to be nice to Christopher this morning, but he was a barely serviceable backup against SMU last year,” he said. “That is not the guy big-time programs are supposed to go out and get.”
Vizzina’s line from that SMU game was 317 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, but Finebaum still framed the performance as unconvincing. He pointed out that the numbers came against a defense that allowed the second-most passing yards per game at 283.2.
Finebaum also argued Clemson should have been more aggressive in finding a quarterback from the transfer market, pointing to LSU’s Sam Leavitt from Arizona State and Indiana transfer quarterback Josh Hoover, who went to the reigning national champion from TCU.
His bigger concern is what happens if Vizzina doesn’t deliver and Clemson’s offense sputters. Finebaum tied that possibility to Dabo Swinney’s recent quarterback history and said the setup could get ugly in a game like this one in Baton Rouge.
“It took him nowhere, but I feel like Clemson is going to struggle offensively, and that’s not a good mix going to Death Valley in Baton Rouge Saturday night, where the offense and defense is loaded,” he said.
Finebaum said he’s been skeptical of Vizzina since the summer, and he also noted the value of landing a portal quarterback, especially with the last two national champions coming from the previous portal cycle.
Still, he left room for the kind of chaos college football always brings. Clemson could still turn around last season’s loss at Memorial Stadium, and Finebaum didn’t completely rule that out.
But he closed by making his stance on the matchup plain.
“I don’t like this game at all,” he said. “If you go against me, you’ll probably be a millionaire.”
In Other News...
Former Gamecock Xzavier McLeods College Path Took Another Turn
Xzavier McLeods winding college football path has taken another unexpected turn. After leaving South Carolina in 2023 and transferring to Georgia, the former Gamecocks defensive lineman became a steady part of the Bulldogs roster, appearing in 25 games over two seasons before his departure from the program.
Now McLeod is no longer with Georgia and has said he is retired from football, closing the door on a career that briefly stretched across two SEC programs. For South Carolina fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a players college journey can change, especially for someone who once looked like part of the future in Columbia before moving on and eventually stepping away from the game altogether. [Read more 🡒]
Former Gamecock DQ Smith Just Added A New Twist To Eligibility Drama
DQ Smiths path has taken another turn, and it has the kind of legal and roster wrinkle that has become increasingly familiar in college football. The former South Carolina defensive back is set to transfer to Virginia Tech for the 2026 season, giving him a fresh landing spot after entering the portal in August 2024 and navigating a complicated eligibility landscape tied to NCAA rules.
For Gamecock fans, the interesting part is not just where Smith is headed, but where he is not. South Carolinas staff opted not to pursue a reunion even with his experience and ability to play, leaving the door open for him to move on and continue his career elsewhere while the broader eligibility issue keeps shaping possibilities across the sport. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Hype Just Put South Carolina In A Huge Draft Debate
Arch Mannings name is already hovering over the 2027 NFL Draft conversation, and the evaluation split has only made it more interesting for South Carolina fans watching the SEC from the side. Some talent evaluators see the Texas quarterback as the class top passer, while others are pumping the brakes and pointing to questions about accuracy, consistency and whether his college rsum is ready to support that kind of projection.
For a Gamecocks audience, the debate matters because it could shape the next few seasons of SEC football before any draft decision is even on the table. Mannings performance in college, including the completion rates that get cited in these early assessments, will keep drawing scrutiny every time Texas is in the spotlight, and the real tension now is whether he keeps building toward the top of the board or forces scouts to revisit the doubts that already have some of them divided. [Read more 🡒]