The “Cade Klubnik Era” is officially behind the scenes and for the first time in four years, the Clemson Tigers are seeking a brand new face for the franchise. In the wake of spring practice, Chad Morris, the offensive coordinator who led Clemson’s legendary high-tempo offenses of the early 2010s, described his first impressions of a quarterback room that is as talented as it is unproven.
While Morris was hired to bring back the "explosiveness" that has been missing, he knows that magic starts with the guy at the center.
Dabo Swinney was very clear going into the spring that redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina "was in the pole position." After three days, Morris appears to be saying "CV" is getting down to earth with the role. Vizzina’s résumé is marked by a gritty 317-yard 3-touchdown game against SMU last fall that showed he could change the game against a major team. But to Morris, the best part of Vizzina’s spring isn’t the arm wizardry; it’s his leadership.
“Watching him lead and watching these guys, these players respond to him... I feel like he has gained a lot of respect,” Morris added. "That offensive line is the most crucial thing... and one thing I have been particularly pleased with has been how the players have reacted to CV."
If Vizzina stands for the steady, pro-style leader, redshirt freshman Chris Denson is the lightning bolt. Denson, who became a fan favorite last season after a 108-yard rushing explosion against Furman, is challenging Vizzina more than many thought he would. Denson’s “backyard football” style lends itself to the room perfectly under Morris’s up-tempo system. As a dual-threat lefty, his ability to elude pressure and generate when a play breaks down is a weapon neither of the other two quarterbacks is currently using.
"Chris looks good. Because obviously, he’s athletic, right?” Morris said. “You can absolutely tell that he’s putting a lot of effort in this offseason."
The other members of the trio comprise true freshman Tait Reynolds, the Arizona native whom Swinney famously called a "unicorn." Reynolds, 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, had arrived in January with a college-ready frame and a reputation to become one of the best multi-sport athletes (football/baseball) in the entire country. Morris conceded Reynolds is not quite done “processing the whole thing,” but the ceiling is arguably the highest in the room.
A powerful arm and a linebacker when he runs, Reynolds is the long-term future — though he’s early enough to keep the veterans checking over their shoulder. Pressure Makes Diamonds. The philosophy in the QB room has shifted under Morris and Swinney this spring. Gone is the "undisputed starter" mentality of the past few seasons. For the Tigers, all they are doing is to take a “pressure makes diamonds” approach.
Now, with Tajh Boyd--the man that originally ran Morris’s system perfectly--now serving as the quarterbacks coach, those three signal-callers' development is the single most important storyline from this 2026 offseason.