By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney named senior Christopher Vizzina the starting quarterback ahead of their opener at LSU on Saturday (6:30, ABC). He will be making just his second career start when he takes the field in Tiger Stadium.
Vizzina (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) won an offseason position battle over talented true freshman Tait Reynolds. He completed 45-of-71 passes in five games last season for 406 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. In his lone start, a 34-25 loss to SMU, he was 29-for-42 with 317 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions but fumbled twice.
Swinney announced his starter for the season opener in a press conference on Tuesday. He said Vizzina earned the job after Reynolds made a late surge following spring practice.
“There was a time where I really thought Tait (Reynolds) had a chance to take the job, and then he had a couple of disastrous days and just looked like a freshman,” Swinney said. “(Vizzina) has just been incredibly steady.”
Vizzina has taken 238 snaps in three seasons at Clemson and totaled 596 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in 14 appearances. He was a five-star prospect out of Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Alabama, but has waited his turn to start behind Cade Klubnik.
“I can’t give him a lifetime contract,” Swinney said about whether Vizzina would have the starting role all season. “He’s got to go do it. People say, ‘What do you need to see?’ Well, you go win some games; go play well. This isn’t complicated.”
Swinney said Vizzina won the job over Reynolds but is not miles ahead of the freshman. He was impressed by how Reynolds closed the gap between himself and the veteran throughout camp but said he could not get over those freshman mistakes.
“He is really super talented, but you can’t just be talented,” Swinney said. “He ain’t going away. I think he’s going to continue to compete. I’m not going to guarantee that he’s going to play, but I would say it’s probably likely because we have to continue the competition and go from there.”
Reynolds (6-2, 215) was rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN.com and a three-star by 247sports.com out of Queen’s Creek High school in Arizona. He is expected to play both football and baseball for the Tigers after missing most of his senior season with a hamstring injury.
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