Clemson didn’t sign a 2026 transfer portal quarterback. Dabo defends decision
Clemson football signed a record 10 transfers this offseason, but it was the position the Tigers didn’t hit the portal for that generated the most attention.
Coach Dabo Swinney’s program notably did not sign a transfer quarterback in January. That essentially confirms Clemson will roll with Christopher Vizzina or another in-house option as its starting QB for the 2026 season.
Vizzina, a rising redshirt junior, was a highly rated high school recruit and has spent the past three seasons as Cade Klubnik’s primary backup. Clemson’s decision to stick with Vizzina during a critical 2026 season, though, is certainly a gamble.
On Friday, Swinney spoke to the media for the first time since the 2025 season ended and elaborated on his decision to not add a transfer quarterback from the portal.
Clemson’s coach said it was a two-part decision: Not entering the quarterback “sweepstakes,” as Swinney called it, freed up money that his program used to retain other talented players. More importantly, he believes the Tigers have “as talented a room as we’ve had in a long time” at quarterback, led by Vizzina.
“We’re committed to the guys that are here,” Swinney said.
Clemson’s quarterback situation coincided with an offensive coordinator change. Swinney fired former OC Garrett Riley on Dec. 29 and replaced him with Chad Morris, who was previously Swinney’s Clemson coordinator from 2011-14, on Jan. 5.
Morris was formally hired as Clemson’s new offensive coordinator in the middle of the NCAA football transfer portal window (Jan. 2-16), which gave him a chance to evaluate and provide input on the team’s QB situation.
Swinney said the decision not to pursue a transfer quarterback was his, but he and Morris were “aligned” on that point, something Morris also echoed.
“I know that there are teams across the country that would love to have the talent that’s sitting in that room,” Morris said in his introductory news conference.
More on Vizzina, Clemson’s other 2026 QB options
Vizzina (6-4, 210) enters 2026 as Clemson’s top quarterback option. He was pursued by various P4 programs coming out of high school and ranked as the No. 6 QB and No. 75 overall recruit in the Class of 2023 .
He’s appeared in 14 games and started his first career game vs. SMU last fall when Klubnik had an ankle injury. In a 35-24 home loss, Vizzina was 29 of 42 (69%) for three touchdowns and zero interceptions while losing a fumble.
“CV has done everything that’s been asked of him, and he’s earned the opportunity to have the pole position,” Swinney said. “Now he’s gotta win the race.”
But other stats from the game reflect why there’s concern among the fan base about Vizzina’s long-term viability as a starter. SMU, for one, finished the 2025 season as the nation’s No. 135 passing defense (ahead of only Stanford).
In that SMU game, Clemson failed to score on five first-quarter possessions (four punts, one lost fumble by Vizzina) and scored on four of 14 total drives (29%).
Vizzina also failed to make much of an impact in spot duty against UNC, Boston College and Furman (three Clemson blowout wins) during the 2025 season.
But Swinney passionately vouched for Vizzina, who he also praised for his loyalty. Swinney said Vizzina (the rare college quarterback to willingly spend three consecutive seasons as a backup) could’ve transferred away at any point.
“I’m not saying he’s Peyton Manning, but with the opportunity that he’s had, he’s performed well, and he’s shown development,” Swinney said.
Morris: ‘My job’ to develop Clemson’s QBs
Clemson’s other options at quarterback include redshirt freshman Chris Denson, an electric dual-threat who had 106 rushing yards and 128 total yards in the fourth quarter vs. Furman but is more raw and underdeveloped as a passer.
The Tigers also signed two true freshman quarterbacks in their Class of 2026: three-star Tait Reynolds from Arizona and three-star Brock Bradley from Alabama.
Reynolds, an early enrollee and the better prospect of the two, also plans to play baseball at Clemson. But he chose to skip the 2026 baseball season so he can compete for the football team’s starting quarterback job in spring practice.
Swinney praised all three of those quarterbacks. He said Denson had “developed tremendously,” Reynolds is a “unicorn” athletically and Bradley is a “highly developed” prospect who starred in the state of Alabama’s top classification.
“If you take a (transfer) quarterback, then you’re losing two” from your roster to the portal, Swinney said. “And I don’t want to lose the guys we got.”
Not pursuing a transfer quarterback was a major decision by Swinney after his preseason No. 4 Tigers stumbled to a 7-6 finish in 2025 (his worst record since Clemson finished 6-7 in his second full season as coach in 2010).
Whoever Clemson selects as its starting quarterback (Vizzina, naturally, is the clubhouse favorite) will be tasked with leading the offense into LSU’s raucous, 102,000-seat Tiger Stadium for Clemson’s 2026 season opener on Sept. 5.
“I’ve been around quarterbacks my whole life,” Morris said. “That’s what I’ve specialized in. ... I’m excited about the opportunity to develop these young men.”
This story was originally published January 24, 2026 at 12:07 PM.
