As the old adage says, competition makes everyone better, and that is the case with the quarterback battle currently going on at Clemson.

Fourth-year quarterback Chris Vizzina, who has patiently waited his turn, has been going head-to-head with freshman Tait Reynolds. The young upstart quickly separated himself from the rest of the room back in the spring, putting himself in direct competition with Vizzina.

The battle has brought out the best in both quarterbacks, with Vizzina noting the two complement one another nicely, which he believes could ultimately be what is best for the team.

“I think we both do things a little bit differently,” Vizzina said. “At the same time, we can complement each other in certain ways. He does a lot of things great. I feel like I do a lot of things great. And we can help the team that way.”

While it took some time for the two quarterbacks to warm up to one another, that relationship is now blossoming. Both are refusing to let their battle on the field become personal.

“I really appreciate the way he came in,” Vizzina said. “He did not say too much at first, but as we have gotten to know each other, and everyone in the room has gotten to know him, I really just appreciate the way he comes in to work every day.”

“We spend so much time together. People can try and turn people against each other and stuff like that, but I feel like he does a great job. He is young. There is a lot of first-time things he is doing, but I feel like he adapts really well to the situation. He leads in his own way, which I really respect. I am glad he is here.”

Vizzina certainly has the upper hand when it comes to experience. While he’s made just one career start, he has appeared in 14 games. However, the biggest thing is Vizzina has been in a college program for more than three years now. He’s been around, and he knows how things work.

Reynolds actually missed almost all of his senior season in high school with an injury, which makes what he’s done since arriving on campus that much more impressive. But at the end of the day, he’s basically not played a full game since the end of his junior campaign.

No matter how it plays out, Vizzina plans to support his fellow quarterback. That is what former Clemson signal-caller Cade Klubnik did for him when he joined the program in 2023, and he’s looking to pay that forward.

One thing seems certain, and that is both guys are most interested in doing whatever it takes to help the team win. Even if that means cheering on and helping mentor the other.

“I am there for him too,” Vizzina said. “A lot of people probably would not say that, but Cade, when I came in, I feel like he wanted to help me out, and I want to do the same thing for Tait. He is just a great dude. I enjoy being around him. If I did not mean that, I would not say that.”