After what could be described as a long and exhausting offseason, football is back at Clemson.

The Tigers will begin fall camp on Thursday afternoon on the practice fields behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex. The media will have a viewing window during the early periods, and The Clemson Insider will be on hand. Head coach Dabo Swinney will also meet with members of the media ahead of the practice.

That means today is the day we start to get some clarity on several lingering questions this team has heading into camp.

Can fourth-year quarterback Chris Vizzina hold off upstart freshman Tait Reynolds? Vizzina enters camp in the “pole position,” as Swinney has stated many times, and most assume it will be him who takes the field when the Tigers open the season in Baton Rouge against LSU on September 5. Either way, Reynolds being able to provide quality competition can only make both better.

Can second-year back Gideon Davidson take that next step and become the featured back in Chad Morris’ offense? While there is some quality depth in that room behind Davidson, there needs to be one guy leading the charge.

Chris Johnson certainly provides a spark out of the backfield, but is he the guy you want banging between the tackles 15 times or more each week? After missing all of last season, maybe Jay Haynes is ready to re-enter the mix. Even if he is, there is bound to be some rust that needs to be knocked off. David Eziomume enters his third year. Can he carve out a role for himself?

We also still have some questions surrounding the right side of the offensive line. Can Collin Sadler stay healthy and win the job at right tackle, or can second-year player Easton Ware hold off the veteran? Ware took most of those reps in the spring while Sadler was still recovering from an injury. Sadler has played both inside and out, so there is always the chance of him sliding over to right guard. Ronan O’Connell got the start there in the Pinstripe Bowl and saw a lot of work there in the spring.

No matter how it shakes out up front, what this group needs is some good fortune on the injury front. Injuries hampered the offensive line last season, forcing Matt Luke to do a lot of shuffling in and out of the starting five.

On the defensive side, the Tigers need some players to step up at defensive tackle. The interior of the defensive line is one of the biggest unknowns at this point.

JUCO transfer Andy Burburija arrived during the summer and is expected to make an immediate impact alongside guys like Markus Strong, Amare Adams and Vic Burley. It will also be of note to find out where transfer Kourtney Kelly is in his recovery from an ACL injury suffered back in the spring. The staff believes there is a chance they can get him back at some point during the season.

We can also start to get an idea of the rotations at linebacker. We know Sammy Brown, Kobe McCloud and Jeremiah Alexander are the players that will be heavily leaned upon. However, one or two of the younger, inexperienced backers need to step up and take that next step. CJ Kubah-Taylor and Drew Woodaz are entering their third seasons, and Logan Anderson enters his second after an injury impacted him in 2025. We will also get our first look at incoming freshman Brayden Reilly, who enrolled during the summer.

We already have a good idea of what the starters in the secondary are going to look like. Ashton Hampton and Elliot Washington are expected to start at corner, while Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter man the two safety spots. Ronan Hanafin should also be a part of the rotation. But who is the primary nickel? Corian Gipson saw a lot of time there last season and showed a lot of promise over the second half of the season. Donovan Starr transferred in and got some reps there during the spring. Can Tink Kelley take a step after an up-and-down 2025?

Last but not least, with Rich Bisaccia taking over as special teams coach, will the Tigers be a little more aggressive in the return game? While we likely won’t know the answer to that question until we get into the season, we will get more of an idea of who the return men are going to be.

With Johnson’s speed, he seems like an ideal candidate to handle those duties. Wideouts Tyler Brown and Bryant Wesco also have experience returning punts.

There are certainly a ton of questions heading into camp and at the very least, it should make for an interesting month of August. Even if the expectations aren’t what they have been in the past.