Dabo Swinney evaluates how Clemson backup QB Christopher Vizzina played vs. UNC
Clemson football got a glimpse into the future Saturday.
The results were mixed.
With the Tigers up big in the second half of their 38-10 win over UNC, coach Dabo Swinney pulled starting quarterback Cade Klubnik out of the game after one second-half possession and turned things over to backup Christopher Vizzina.
It was the redshirt sophomore’s first time getting a full offensive drive this season — and a big stage for Vizzina, who’s expected to compete for Clemson’s starting quarterback position in 2026 after Klubnik (a senior) exhausts his eligibility.
Vizzina’s performance in spot moments could go a long way in determining how much effort Clemson puts into landing a transfer portal quarterback this offseason.
So, what did Swinney think?
“I thought he did a nice job,” Swinney said. “... Just fun to see those guys get an opportunity to play, but especially for CV to get some good game work in. And it was something I know that will pay off for him.”
Vizzina played two offensive drives and finished 6 of 11 for 39 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and a long completion of 15 yards. He also rushed twice for two yards in his first major game reps against a power conference opponent.
It was also Vizzina’s first time playing significant regular-season snaps with Clemson’s starting offensive line and skill position players such as tailback Adam Randall and receiver Antonio Williams.
On Clemson’s first series with Vizzina under center, the Tigers went on a long drive — 14 plays, 55 yards, 5:20 of possession — that ended in a 27-yard field goal. The drive was extended by a UNC pass interference penalty, which also nullified a Vizzina interception on third and 7.
Vizzina took a number of end zone shots but couldn’t connect with any receivers before Clemson settled for a field goal on 4th and 9 from UNC’s 9-yard line. His second drive ended when he hit WR Tyler Brown a yard short of the line to gain on a 4th and 4 from UNC’s 34.
“There were a couple of balls,” Swinney said. “I thought he might should have back-shouldered one of those down the field. But really good job on the boot. Very accurate throw to Antonio. It was just great for him to play.”
Vizzina’s longest completion was the aforementioned 15-yard, play-action bootleg pass to Williams. His other five completions went for 0, 8, 5, 7 and 4 yards, for a 55% completion percentage and QB rating of 84.3.
“I felt like he managed it well,” said Klubnik, who was 22 of 24 passing for 254 yards and four touchdowns, primarily in the first half. “Really proud of him. He killed it.”
Vizzina (6-4, 210) has drawn a lot of intrigue because of his size, recruiting profile and loyalty to Clemson in a situation where others would transfer.
A four-star QB from Alabama who ranked as the nation’s No. 6 quarterback and No. 75 overall recruit in the 2023 class, Vizzina essentially committed to Clemson and Swinney with the understanding he’d sit behind Klubnik for three years.
Now that Klubnik is a senior and off to the NFL after this season, the heat is on for Vizzina to show his development. Entering 2025, he’d appeared in nine games (almost exclusively in mop-up duty) and only played major snaps against G5 or FCS teams when Clemson was up big.
A 1-3 start to the season limited Swinney’s chances to get Vizzina into more games this season, but the Tigers did put him in for a QB power play in the first half of the Troy game and now have two series to evaluate off the UNC game.
The good: He got Clemson into UNC territory twice and didn’t turn the ball over. The bad: He didn’t convert any touchdown drives, missed a few throws and third-string quarterback Trent Pearman got nearly as many passing yards on his lone completion (31) as Vizzina did on 11 pass attempts (39).
“A lot of guys got to go play and compete, and we got a lot of stuff on tape,” Swinney said. “I can’t wait to watch the tape.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
