Anonymous ACC Coaches Chime in on Clemson
By: Gavin Oliver May 21, 2026

This week, Athlon Sports published anonymous quotes from ACC coaches about each team in the league ahead of the 2026 season.

The commentary on Clemson in the article covers a few different topics, including a couple on the offensive side of the ball.

One anonymous coach believes that Clemson’s offense under Garrett Riley “was essentially Chad Morris’ offense being called by Garrett Riley.”

As you know, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney officially hired Morris as the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator in January, marking Morris’ second stint as Clemson’s OC. Morris replaces Riley, who was fired in late December after three seasons as Clemson’s OC.

Clemson’s lack of a consistent offense, especially in big games, played a role in the program suffering its first six-loss season since 2010. The Tigers finished the 2025 campaign with a 7-6 record.

“The same concepts that they ran in 2025, you can go back to the beginning when Dabo got there and see the same thing,” one anonymous ACC coach said. “I don’t think it was Garrett Riley’s offense. It was essentially Chad Morris’ offense being called by Garrett Riley.”

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney sits with new offensive coordinator Chad Morris as the Tigers’ men’s basketball team plays NC State on January 20, 2026 at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. (Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider)

Another anonymous ACC coach weighed in on Clemson’s quarterback situation, which is a hot topic heading into the upcoming season.

After serving as Cade Klubnik’s backup for multiple years, redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina is in the “pole position” to take over as the Tigers’ starting QB in 2026, while true freshman Tait Reynolds emerged as the clear No. 2 QB during spring ball and has a shot at pushing for the starting job according to Swinney.

“Their backup QBs didn’t play much last year, and I didn’t think they were very good,” one anonymous ACC coach said. “I’d be shocked if they were better on offense even if they’re coached better. When Clemson is good, their quarterback is really good.”

As for the other side of the ball, one anonymous ACC coach thinks the Tigers are coaching their defensive players too hard instead of just “letting them cut it loose.”

“It’s almost like they overcoach their defensive players instead of letting them cut it loose and play,” the coach said. “There were some schematic things where you felt like you could get them out of position. Usually, teams that are really talented do a little less and try to just let those guys cut it loose.”

Clemson will kick off the 2026 season against LSU on Sept. 5 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. Clemson is currently an 11.5-point underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

ESPN’s College GameDay show is heading to Baton Rouge for the highly anticipated season opener. The primetime matchup (7:30 p.m., ABC) will mark the LSU head coaching debut for Lane Kiffin.