With August camp right around the corner, Clemson football is staring down a key moment after last year’s 7-6 finish. Dabo Swinney and his revamped staff have five major position battles to settle before the Tigers kick off against LSU on September 5.
The next few weeks will put Clemson’s depth to the test, as fresh faces enter the spotlight.
The Quarterback Competition: Vizzina vs. Reynolds
Redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina heads into camp as the frontrunner to take over for Cade Klubnik, but true freshman Tait Reynolds is making things interesting after an exceptional spring.
Swinney addressed the shifting depth under center, noting the enhanced internal pressure driving the room.
“This is going to be a very competitive summer, a very competitive fall camp,” Swinney said. “(CV) was the lead horse coming in, and he's still got the pole position.”
Swinney made it clear: this battle is about who can truly command the offense, not just manage it.
“Can he run the offense? Can he elevate the offense? Or is he just managing the team?” Swinney asked. “I believe we have five guys who can play quarterback at this level. We haven't always had that.”
Whoever wins the job will run Chad Morris’ revamped offense. Morris, back in Clemson since January, is pushing for a more aggressive, vertical attack—one that could be tailor-made for Vizzina’s skill set.
“We are a two-back, run-oriented, play-action shot football team that's gonna take great pride in pushing the ball down the field… We wanna push the ball down the field (25 yards) at least three times a quarter,” Morris said.
Wide Receiver: Who Claims the No. 3 Spot?
Juniors Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore are locked in as the top two options out wide, but the battle for the third receiver spot is wide open. Redshirt junior Tyler Brown is fighting to rediscover the spark he showed as a freshman in 2023, while true freshman Naeem Burroughs brings speed and playmaking ability.
Veteran wideout Tristan Smith gave the Tigers a surprise boost when he picked up another year of eligibility after an offseason court ruling. Smith missed the second half of spring with ankle surgery, but Swinney has been in his corner throughout the process.
"Hopefully, it will go his way," Swinney said in February before the ruling became official. Smith's 6-foot-5 frame adds a proven red-zone weapon to the up-tempo offense.
Offensive Line Overhaul: Rebuilding the Trenches
Clemson’s biggest question mark is up front, where Matt Luke is tasked with rebuilding an offensive line that returns only 43% of its snaps. The Tigers lost first-rounder Blake Miller and longtime starters Tristan Leigh, Walker Parks, and Ryan Linthicum.
Sophomore tackle Brayden Jacobs is set to anchor the left side, while Harris Sewell, a blue-chip recruit, moves to center. According to team analyst Austin Hannon, Jacobs is fully healthy after missing the end of last season with a foot injury.
"Brayden Jacobs is gonna start at left tackle this year," Hannon said. "I think they feel pretty good about that. He got hurt last year. Late in the season at Louisville last year, Brayden Jacobs hurt his foot while celebrating on the field after the game and missed the last three games. He was back at practice and just a monster of a human. The expectation is he's going to be very good at left tackle."Linebacker Versatility: Defensive Fluidity
Defensively, coordinator Tom Allen is emphasizing position versatility within his 4-2-5 alignment. First-team All-ACC linebacker Sammy Brown spent the spring cross-training at both the middle (MIKE) and weakside (WILL) linebacker spots, competing alongside Kobe McCloud and Jeremiah Alexander.
“Ben [Boulware] wants us to be able to do both because it adds functionality to our defense,” Brown said. “Instead of 'I can only go in at MIKE, or I can only go in at WILL', you go in and intermix and interchange at MIKE and WILL. It adds a lot of functionality to your game.”
McCloud finished spring as the favorite at WILL, with Brown holding down MIKE, but this battle is not yet over. Brown likes how the group has grown in year two under Allen.
“I feel like the whole backer room took a huge step this spring,” Brown said. “This is second year in this defense. You are understanding, not what you are doing in it, but why you are doing it and what the guys to your left and right are doing. I feel like we have taken a really big step in doing that.”
Defensive Front: Setting the Edge
The last big question is depth up front.
Clemson needs dependable rotation guys to support edge star Will Heldt. Allen’s defense has racked up at least 30 sacks for 14 straight years, and preseason camp will show if newcomers like can help keep that streak alive against top competition.
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