College football has increasingly become a "What have you done for me lately?" sport. With the dawn of NIL and the advent of the transfer portal, nobody has to be down for long. Conversely, those who do not embrace these changes are sure to be left behind. Up until quite recently, the Clemson Tigers had been one of those programs resistant to change. Now, they must fully accept it to move forward.
With Christopher Vizzina expected to take over for Cade Klubnik at quarterback, he cannot let Dabo Swinney hand him the starting job. He has to earn it. Vizzina faces immense pressure. Not only must he be the shining beacon of hope on offense for Clemson, but the college football world may look to him for answers he might not have. This is untrodden territory for him, but he cannot shy away from it.
Even though Clemson's longtime backup should beat out promising true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting job, it serves Vizzina and the entire program for him to welcome all sorts of challenges. Iron sharpens iron, but there has not been enough of that happening around Death Valley recently. Vizzina needs to accept that Reynolds' mere presence could make him a better player, and vice versa.
If there is anything Swinney and Vizzina could learn from Matt Luke, it is to fully embrace competition.
Christopher Vizzina could be exactly what Clemson needs at quarterback
Swinney has had all kinds of quarterbacks run the Clemson offense since he took over. Hoping that Vizzina emerges as the next Trevor Lawrence or Deshaun Watson is way too much pressure for any first-year Clemson starter to handle. Instead, he can become the next Tajh Boyd for Clemson. His new quarterbacks coach will constantly be in his ear, serving as an reminder of what greatness looks like.
Let's be honest with ourselves for just a second. Since Lawrence turned pro, Clemson has not gotten what it has needed at quarterback. The game never seemed to slow down for DJ Uiagalelei. As far as Klubnik is concerned, he always seemed to play like he preferred reading his press clippings instead of a playbook. Clemson paid a price with both quarterbacks because neither embraced competition.
And that is where Vizzina can change the narrative. He is not coming in as the greatest thing since sliced bread. The talent is there. We all saw how he played in his lone start vs. SMU. He can really spin it. What is important for him to understand is how he takes to coaching will go a long way with this year's team. So many familiar faces are off to the NFL. Vizzina becomes a focal point for this offense.
Even if Reynolds is not quite ready to push Vizzina for playing time, the veteran needs to treat every rep he gets like the true freshman is right on his tail. It does not mean to play tight, but with a crashing sense of urgency. That is what made Watson great and what helped Lawrence shine during the many key moments he encountered. Sadly, neither Uiagalelei nor Klubnik ever seemed to pick up this trait.
Thankfully, Vizzina could be the face of a revamped Clemson team. So much went wrong a year ago, but that was last season. This is now. Fortunately, he does not need to rally the troops to play better. They all should feel embarrassed about what transpired last season. However, if Vizzina can show his teammates that he is willing to be challenged for this starting job, then everyone should follow suit.
Luke can pitch this to his offensive linemen, but once Vizzina embraces it, everything could catch fire.
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