Did Christopher Vizzina prove he should be the Clemson starting quarterback in 2026?

Cade Klubnik was sidelined, as the Tigers fell to SMU in its third loss at home this season. It was another disappointing performance by a Clemson team that can’t seem to get anything going in the most important games.

One light at the end of the tunnel though was the performance by backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina in Klubnik’s absence. After a sloppy start, turning the football over off a fumble, the sophomore quarterback started finding his rhythm. He made some big plays down field, and displayed more confidence with each drive.

It started with the 32-yard bomb to TJ Moore for Vizzina’s first touchdown pass of his career. From then on, Vizzina began to look comfortable. Vizzina finished the day completing 69% of his passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns.  He put many things on tape that shows he’s got a bright future competing on this level.

The question is though, was it enough to prove he should be the bonafide starting quarterback for Clemson in 2026?

Vizzina has many tools that are great to have as a power four quarterback. He’s got great size at 6 '4, 210 pounds, a strong arm, he’s got good accuracy throwing the ball, and is an impressive athlete. But, he’s also still got lots to work on.

Vizzina actually has some of the same issues that Klubnik does. Both quarterbacks start getting happy feet in the pocket at times, they rush through the reads a bit too fast other times, and they will get stuck on a specific player or route even when it's not there. Vizzina himself also needs a better control of the offense, making sure to help with protection checks on pressure downs.

These weaknesses don’t make either guy bad, but rather inconsistent. That’s the goal for the Clemson coaching staff when it comes to developing Vizzina. Getting him to be as consistent as possible. If he can become a consistent player at the position, he will be a great candidate to secure the role he’s been getting prepped to take over for the last two years.

Right now though, other options should not be ruled out. There needs to be a quarterback battle in Clemson, South Carolina this offseason. Vizzina deserves to start the offseason as the projected starter, but Dabo Swinney also needs to continue his dabbling in the transfer portal and finally find a potential starting quarterback.

It does not necessarily need to be an expensive, “slam-dunk” signing though. Just someone who can at least come in and challenge Vizzina for the number one spot.

Also, freshman Chris Denson should be given a real chance to win the job himself. There is a ton of excitement around the young dual-threat quarterback. If Vizzina starts flailing at any point next season, fans will be calling for Denson anyway. So, give him some reps with the first-team and put him in some tough situations through the spring and summer to see if he can win the job sooner rather than later.

Against SMU, Vizzina definitely did not play his way out of being looked at as the next guy up for the starting quarterback role. If anything his case became a little stronger. It was not the kind of performance that solidified the job either though.

Giving Vizzina some competition for the spot will help to either push him to be better or make it known he can’t live up to the pressure. If his first start was any indication, he should rise to the occasion.