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Christopher Vizzina has waited three years for an opportunity to become Clemsonfootball’s starting quarterback. As fall camp gets underway, the senior is closer than ever to getting his shot.
Dabo Swinney confirmed Thursday that Vizzina remains ahead of freshman Tait Reynolds in the race to replace Cade Klubnik, who was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
“Again, he’s got the pole position, but he’s still gotta finish the race,” Swinney said.
“He’s gotta go finish the race, but he’s got a lead into the second half here, so we’ll see what happens.”
Vizzina hasn’t played much during his Clemson career, but he has spent those years developing behind Klubnik rather than looking elsewhere for an easier path to playing time. Swinney believes that approach has helped Vizzina earn credibility inside the Tigers’ locker room.
“The guys respect CV,” Swinney said. “They respect him, because he’s done the work.”
Now comes the part that matters most. Vizzina still has to prove during camp that he’s Clemson’s best option.
“He’s respected. But he also has a lot to prove, right,” Swinney said. “He’s gotta go do it. I can’t give it to him. Nobody can. You’ve got to earn it. Players know. They know – game knows game.”
Swinney’s confidence in his quarterback room played a role in Clemson staying away from transfer options this offseason. He also believes Vizzina would have received considerably more attention had he left Clemson and become one of those portal quarterbacks himself.
“Whoever got him [if Vizzina had entered the portal], they’d be writing all these great articles about this great quarterback that we got from Clemson,” Swinney said. “But because he stayed, he gets downplayed. That’s just the nature of this world we’re living in right now. It just is.”
Vizzina has completed 61 percent of his career passes for 596 yards and four touchdowns. His lone start came against SMU last season, when he passed for 317 yards and three scores with Klubnik unavailable.
Reynolds gives Clemson an intriguing alternative. The four-star freshman made a strong push during the spring and will have an opportunity to continue applying pressure throughout August.
But the starting point of this competition is clear. Vizzina has the advantage, and Swinney believes his offseason has put him in position to finally take control of the job.
“He’s just taken ownership of everything,” Swinney said. “He’s gone above and beyond. He’s in great shape. He’s incredibly knowledgeable. He’s done everything he needs to do to position himself to win the job.”
Contact us at @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Dabo Swinney says Clemson QB Christopher Vizzina deserves more respect
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Dabo Swinney confirmed Thursday that Vizzina remains ahead of freshman Tait Reynolds in the race to replace Cade Klubnik, who was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
“Again, he’s got the pole position, but he’s still gotta finish the race,” Swinney said.
“He’s gotta go finish the race, but he’s got a lead into the second half here, so we’ll see what happens.”
Vizzina hasn’t played much during his Clemson career, but he has spent those years developing behind Klubnik rather than looking elsewhere for an easier path to playing time. Swinney believes that approach has helped Vizzina earn credibility inside the Tigers’ locker room.
“The guys respect CV,” Swinney said. “They respect him, because he’s done the work.”
Now comes the part that matters most. Vizzina still has to prove during camp that he’s Clemson’s best option.
“He’s respected. But he also has a lot to prove, right,” Swinney said. “He’s gotta go do it. I can’t give it to him. Nobody can. You’ve got to earn it. Players know. They know – game knows game.”
Swinney’s confidence in his quarterback room played a role in Clemson staying away from transfer options this offseason. He also believes Vizzina would have received considerably more attention had he left Clemson and become one of those portal quarterbacks himself.
“Whoever got him [if Vizzina had entered the portal], they’d be writing all these great articles about this great quarterback that we got from Clemson,” Swinney said. “But because he stayed, he gets downplayed. That’s just the nature of this world we’re living in right now. It just is.”
Vizzina has completed 61 percent of his career passes for 596 yards and four touchdowns. His lone start came against SMU last season, when he passed for 317 yards and three scores with Klubnik unavailable.
Reynolds gives Clemson an intriguing alternative. The four-star freshman made a strong push during the spring and will have an opportunity to continue applying pressure throughout August.
But the starting point of this competition is clear. Vizzina has the advantage, and Swinney believes his offseason has put him in position to finally take control of the job.
“He’s just taken ownership of everything,” Swinney said. “He’s gone above and beyond. He’s in great shape. He’s incredibly knowledgeable. He’s done everything he needs to do to position himself to win the job.”
Contact us at @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Dabo Swinney says Clemson QB Christopher Vizzina deserves more respect
Continue reading...
