With spring practice set to begin at Clemson later this month, the battle for the next starting quarterback will begin.

With Cade Klubnik’s college career now over, the Tigers will have their first real quarterback battle since 2018, when Trevor Lawrence arrived on campus.

Chris Vizzina has waited patiently for three years to have a shot at the starting job, and now he has it. Chris Denson will also compete.

Clemson also signed two quarterbacks in the 2026 class, and both will enter the spring looking to throw their hats in the ring. Tait Reynolds is the more highly-rated of the two, but after missing almost all of his senior season in high school, he took a hit in some of the ratings.

Reynolds didn’t really start playing football until his freshman season in high school, but that didn’t slow him down any, as he ended up being a heavily pursued quarterback prospect. He is big, strong and a true dual-threat guy. He actually looks more like a running back when he takes off with the football.

Reynolds has a big arm, but is still a little raw as a passer. Missing his final high school season certainly didn’t help with his development in that area. It will be interesting to see exactly where he’s at once practice begins, but it’s possible he’ll need a season to acclimate. One thing is certain. Once he’s ready, whenever that may be, he has all the traits needed to make Chad Morris’ offense hum.

Brock Bradley is the other quarterback who signed with the Tigers. Bradley is a little undersized, but he’s a gamer. Dabo Swinney went as far as comparing him to Baker Mayfield. While he doesn’t possess elite-level arm strength, he can make all of the throws, and he’s accurate.

Bradley wasn’t the runner in high school that Reynolds was, but he did rush for eight touchdowns in his final season.

Final Analysis: While both freshmen have high upside, it’s likely that this winds up being a two-man battle between Vizzina and Denson. However, if one of these freshmen ends up making waves, it’s probably more likely to be Reynolds.

Photo courtesy of Tait Reynolds on Instagram