The stage is set, the countdown to Baton Rouge is ticking, and somehow, the national media still hasn't figured out that doubting a Dabo Swinney quarterback is a losing bet.
CBS Sports dropped its list of all 68 projected Power Four starting quarterbacks this week, and the disrespect for Clemson’s new man under center, Christopher Vizzina, jumps off the page. After biding his time and showing flashes of big-time talent, Vizzina lands at No. 44 overall—ninth in the ACC. Ninth! You can almost hear the doubters lining up.
The ‘Briarwood Bullet’ Ready to Fire
With Cade Klubnik off to chase his NFL dreams, it’s finally Vizzina’s show. The redshirt junior from Briarwood Christian in Birmingham has waited his turn, and now he’s ready to lead the Tigers. The national talking heads might be lukewarm, but every Clemson fan remembers what happened when Vizzina got his shot last October.
Remember that SMU game? Vizzina looked like he’d been running the show for years—317 yards, three touchdowns, 29-of-42 passing, and not a single interception. If that Vizzina shows up in Baton Rouge on September 5, a whole lot of folks are going to regret putting 43 names ahead of his.
Dabo’s Confidence and the National Narrative
Vizzina’s ranked between Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz and Virginia’s Beau Pribula, but let’s be honest—while other teams scrambled for quick fixes in the portal, Dabo Swinney doubled down on his own guys. That’s the Clemson way.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford took note of that decision when analyzing the Tigers' new leader.
"Dabo Swinney chose not to go to the portal for a quarterback, so Vizzina it is for the Tigers," Crawford said. "Behind Cade Klubnik each of the past two seasons, Vizzina did see extended action last fall during a loss to SMU when he threw for 317 yards and three scores. If Clemson gets that level of play out of Vizzina, the Tigers will be a ACC threat throughout the season."
Vizzina only saw action in five games last year, racking up 406 yards and four touchdowns, but the way he stepped in for Klubnik against Boston College and kept things rolling on Senior Day versus Furman showed he’s built for the big stage. He’s ready for the spotlight, and so are we.
The Tigers have a tough road ahead, starting with that huge opener in Baton Rouge. But if Vizzina plays like the Top 10 talent we all know he is, nobody will remember No. 44 by the time October rolls around.