Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney doubled down on why the Tigers didn’t try to get what he called a “shiny object” at quarterback in the transfer portal this offseason.

Swinney reiterated that he believes in the quarterbacks on the roster. He also acknowledged there will be a lot of criticism if the decision not to pursue a transfer portal QB doesn’t work out.

“Listen, I know y’all write about it. I know y’all talk about it. We have fans that talk about it. At the end of the day, you’ve got to make decisions. You can’t make decisions that please everybody, and if you want to fail drastically, try to do that,” Swinney said Thursday at the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, N.C.

“We made a decision that we weren’t going to go and get some shiny object at quarterback. We understand that, and if it doesn’t work out, we’re going to be raked over the coals for that. But you’ve got to make decisions that you believe in, and we always do what we think, at Clemson, is best for our team, for the long-term health of our team and organization, etcetera.”

Redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina is in what Swinney calls the pole position when it comes to Clemson’s quarterback race, and he will still be at the top of the quarterback depth chart when fall camp gets underway.

Vizzina, who served as Cade Klubnik’s backup for multiple years, has stayed true and loyal to Clemson and Swinney. So, Swinney did the same and did not go after a quarterback in the transfer portal.

Vizzina could have left Clemson a long time ago, but instead bided his time and waited patiently for his own time to be the guy. Swinney believes in Vizzina and says he’s “earned the opportunity to go be the starting quarterback at Clemson.”

“There’s a reason why we had confidence in the decision that we made. And that’s because we’re there every day,” Swinney said. “And CV has earned the opportunity to go be the starting quarterback at Clemson, based on everything we’ve observed. Now, if we didn’t think he was good enough, and he hadn’t demonstrated the things that he controlled at that point in his career, we might have made another decision.”

“You don’t ever know until you get there, but we knew that CV was a guy that [is] incredibly loyal to our program,” Swinney added. “This guy could have left 10 times, and somebody would have paid him a ton of money, and he could have gone and done that. But this kid has stayed loyal to Clemson, and he’s done everything he’s been asked to do. And when he’s had an opportunity to play, he’s played well. Now, does that anoint him to be the guy? No. He’s gotta go do it. It gives him the pole position, and that’s what he had in spring ball.”

Following Clemson’s March 28 spring game, Swinney provided clarity on the Tigers’ quarterback battle, saying that Vizzina remained the QB1, while true freshman Tait Reynolds emerged as the No. 2 quarterback. Swinney said after the spring game that Vizzina and Reynolds made the race to be Clemson’s new starting quarterback a two-man race, and Swinney said those two guys clearly separated themselves from the pack and it wasn’t close.

Reynolds really pushed Vizzina in the spring and has continued to do so through summer workouts, and Reynolds will get his shot during fall camp to push for the starting job.

“Tait came in, and there were four guys competing. Who’s gonna be 2? We knew who 1 was, but we can’t create competition with five guys, we need to create competition. So, Tait separated himself and became the 2. The team needed clarity, we needed clarity going into the summer,” Swinney said.

“It became very obvious that, hey, these were the two guys that gave us the best chance. And so now, coming out of spring, Tait, he can put his eyes on CV and he can go beat him out. Or CV can feel the heat from somebody else. So, either way, we’re going to get better because competition makes us better. That’s just football. That’s the way it is.”

Along with Vizzina and Reynolds, Clemson’s QB room includes former walk-on Trent Pearman, as well as true freshman Brock Bradley. Chris Denson is still taking some QB reps as well, but has transitioned into more of a “hybrid” role and has also been working at wide receiver and running back.

Swinney says that heading into fall camp, the QB1 position is Vizzina’s “job to lose” but Reynolds has the “opportunity to go win it.”

“We don’t have a ton of experience at the position. That’s well-documented,” Swinney said. “But, we believe in the talent that we have. And the other thing that we believe in is we have a bunch of playmakers at running back, at tight end, at wide receiver – they’re ready to make plays for whoever is under center. And I think we believe that we have four guys in that room. We have a lot of talent in that quarterback room that we feel good about.

“But right now, going into camp, it’s CV and it’s Tait, and it’s CV’s job to lose, and it’s Tait’s opportunity to go win it. What happens in camp, I don’t know. I don’t have a crystal ball. Does it go into game season? I have no idea. We’ll have to see how it all plays out. But I’ll say this – I believe in the guys we have.”