CLEMSON — As Clemson gets set to begin spring workouts in a couple of weeks, Dabo Swinney has already indicated who will be the first-team quarterback when practices begin.

Christopher Vizzina is in “pole position” as the Tigers look to find a new quarterback after Cade Klubnik exhausted his eligibility.

“CV has done everything that’s been asked of him, and he’s earned the opportunity,” Clemson’s head coach said recently. “He’s earned the opportunity to have the pole position. He’s got to win the race, but he’s got the opportunity to come out with pole position.”

What does this mean?

It means redshirt freshman Chris Denson will have an opportunity to win the job, as well.

Though he had his struggles in fall camp last summer, Denson steadily progressed as the season went on, especially after he started working with Tajh Boyd, who has since been named Clemson’s new quarterbacks’ coach.

Denson improved so well, he moved up the depth chart, and by seasons end was considered the third quarterback behind Klubnik and Vizzina.

“He’s kind of been Tajh’s project,” Swinney said last season. “Tajh has really kind of had his hands on him. Every day, they work. They do a lot of post-practice stuff.”

The best example of Denson’s progression came in the Furman game, when he lit up the Paladins for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

An electric dual-threat quarterback from Plant City, Fla., Denson entered the Furman game and breathed life into a Clemson offense that was not playing well with the backups in.

Denson entered the game in the fourth quarter, and on his second carry he broke off a 50-yard run — Clemson’s longest run of the season. Two plays later, he threw his first career touchdown on a 4-yard pass to tight end Logan Brooking.

The freshman continued to shine on Clemson’s next drive, adding the first rushing touchdown of his career on a 10-yard run with nine seconds remaining in the game.

Two drives, two touchdowns and some big-time splash plays.

Overall, Denson rushed six times for a team-high 106 yards and completed all four of his passes for 22 yards, while accounting for his two total touchdowns.

“To really get Denson some significant [playing] time was awesome,” Swinney said after the game that day. “That’s what he does in practice. That’s what we’ve seen. He showed up really raw, but he’s developing, and he’s had a great spring and summer.

“There’s been a lot of growth you don’t see, but it’s going to pay dividends. I’m really proud of him.”

Denson’s 106 rushing yards represented the first 100-yard rushing game by a Clemson quarterback since Trevor Lawrence’s 107 yards against Ohio State in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.

His six carries tied for the fifth-fewest needed to record a 100-yard rushing performance in school history.

Denson’s 17.7-average-yards-per-carry was the highest by a Clemson quarterback in a game, with at least five attempts, since Bobby Gage’s 30.3-yard average against Presbyterian in 1947 (182 yards on six carries).

“The kid’s a grinder,” Swinney said. “He’s a very committed guy. He’s a natural leader. That’s been fun to see. It’s not something that he has to work at. He is just a natural leader. He’s got a great presence to him, a great demeanor, and so it’s been fun to see his confidence grow.”