CLEMSON – In early March, head coach Dabo Swinney made a point of saying that Christopher Vizzina had the “pole position” to win the Tigers’ starting quarterback job this upcoming season.

After Vizzina completed 10 passes for 95 yards in Clemson’s annual Orange & White spring game a few weeks later, Swinney doubled down, saying that Vizzina was leading the room, but freshman Tait Reynolds was knocking on the door.

Reynolds, a Queen Creek, Ariz. native, had a nice showing at the spring game as well, concluding a successful month in which he frequently got reps with presumed starters in practices.

In his 18-year tenure at Clemson, Swinney has always valued loyalty in veteran quarterbacks, awarding opportunities to in-house talent. However, just three years ago, a young freshman named Cade Klubnik ended up unseating veteran DJ Uiagalelei by the end of his first year in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Klubnik was named the ACC Championship Game’s Most Valuable Player and got the start in the Orange Bowl against Tennessee.

A few years earlier, a young rookie named Trevor Lawrence was thrust into the spotlight as the permanent starter in 2018. Of course, he went on to win the national championship that season, the first true freshman quarterback since 1985 to do so, while incumbent quarterback Kelly Bryant, who won an ACC Championship the year before, quit the team after Week 4 to retain his eligibility so he could transfer to another school.

Deshaun Watson, another legendary Clemson quarterback, got his first opportunity as a freshman, beating out senior Cole Stoudt after the fourth game in 2014. In 2016, he went on to lead Clemson to its first national championship since 1981 and became the first player in college football history to finish as a finalist in the Heisman Trophy race in back-to-back years.

Because of his history with this specific topic, Swinney often shows loyalty to the veteran signal-callers and gives them the first opportunity. However, if his younger quarterback is ready, he is not afraid to make a substitution if it means helping the team.

With a similar quarterback battle shaping up entering fall camp, here are some ways that Vizzina can claim the starting job and hold onto it this season.

Maybe the biggest advantage Vizzina has right now is his experience, not even necessarily in-game reps, but through three years as a college football player and the relationships that come with it.

The Birmingham, Ala., native did start a college game last year, something no one else in the position group can say. But he also has relationships and chemistry with the wide receivers, tight ends and offensive line that are unmatched in duration at this time. This may be almost as important for the quarterback position as a prior career start.

Vizzina lives with Harris Sewell, the presumed starting center. He’s orchestrated joint offensive linemen meals and has developed three years worth of friendships with teammates of all positions. During spring interviews, several players–on offense and defense–commented on Vizzina’s recent leadership and how he has taken on the mentality of the team. They called him vocal, confident, and a natural leader they gravitate to.

The first level of earning the starting job is owning the responsibilities that come with it, and so far, Vizzina has excelled in this area, according to his teammates. If he continues to command the room, it will help coaches believe he is ready to lead a group in front of 80,000 fans.

The second, and biggest, part, of course, comes with actual play on the field.

In Vizzina’s singular career start, which came in a loss to SMU last season, there were several bright spots. The 6-foot-4 quarterback completed 69 percent of his passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns and did not throw an interception.

After a slow start that included a fumble from Vizzina and four drives that ended in punts, he began to heat up. Vizzina grew more decisive as time went on and started getting the ball out quickly to his playmakers, like wide receivers Antonio Williams and T.J. Moore, as well as tight ends Christian Bentancur and Olsen Patt-Henry.

When he made quick decisions, Clemson’s offense operated efficiently, and the Tigers connected on some deep shots down the field, which was a rarity at times last season. 

Vizzina showed an ability as the game went on to get the ball to his playmakers, and trust them to go up and get it. For example, Vizzina led Moore on a 62-yard pass for a touchdown that the wide receiver reeled in with one hand.

In the same game, the Tigers got a free play opportunity, and Vizzina put a ball high up in the end zone to Tristan Smith, a 6-foot-5 receiver that towered above most everyone. No one could have caught that ball except for someone of that stature. Vizzina understood how to get it to him.

New Tigers’ offensive coordinator Chad Morris has been very vocal about his new plan for Clemson’s offense this year. One big pillar of his design will be simplifying the offense so that playmakers can get the ball quickly. If Vizzina can show in fall camp the same awareness he showed in the second half of the SMU game that will help him.

Additionally, as the game moved on, Vizzina looked more comfortable on the run, but still hesitated too long at times to leave the pocket and scramble. He was once rated the No. 2 “dual-threat” signal-caller in his high school class, which means the instinct and speed are there, but he has to feel more comfortable knowing when to take off. This will help out his new-look offensive line and free up other players if he is a threat to run.

Vizzina does not need to be hyper-mobile by any means for the Tigers to have success, but the threat of him running with the ball could be crucial to free up opportunities for those playmakers he is trying to find.

Overall, Vizzina does not need to be Lawrence or Watson for Clemson to improve upon its 7-6 finish from last year. What he does need to do is be a clear leader, find his playmakers quickly, and establish a comfort running with the ball. 

If he does these things in camp, he will remain in the pole position to open Clemson’s season as the starter, and if he continues doing them in early games, then his job will not be in any immediate jeopardy.

Clemson fans will get to see the result of the quarterback battle on Sept. 5, when the Tigers open their season against LSU in Baton Rouge, La.