Clemson Will Play Two Quarterbacks — But What Does That Mean for the QB1 Job?

Dabo Swinney has made one thing clear about Clemson's quarterback situation heading into Saturday's matchup with Georgia Southern.

Both Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds are going to play.

Less clear is exactly what Clemson is trying to determine by playing both.

“The guys are competing, but they'll both play,” Swinney said following Wednesday's practice. “The team ain't worried about it. The team's just trying to focus on what they got to do. They're going to play for whoever runs out there. They all know the situation.”

That leaves an interesting question entering Clemson's second game: Are Reynolds' snaps primarily about getting a talented freshman valuable experience behind Vizzina, or is Clemson still trying to determine which quarterback should ultimately own the job?

Swinney's comments this week suggest there is at least some of both involved.

Vizzina emerged from preseason camp as Clemson's starter for the opener at LSU after an extended competition with Reynolds. But Clemson's 51-10 loss in Baton Rouge didn't give the coaching staff the evaluation it hoped to get.

“We didn't really come out of the game with, like, true clarity,” Swinney said Tuesday. “There just wasn't enough.”

The game got away from Clemson quickly. As Swinney noted, the Tigers had run only 13 offensive snaps by the time LSU built a 24-3 lead.

That wasn't exactly the environment Clemson envisioned for evaluating its quarterbacks.

Vizzina completed 10 of 16 passes for 83 yards with an interception before Reynolds entered and completed four of six attempts for 22 yards.

So Clemson is carrying the uncertainty into Week 2.

“That's just where we are, where we came out of the competition,” Swinney said Tuesday. “We just need to go play games.”

There would be reason to play Reynolds even if Clemson's quarterback competition were settled.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound freshman from Queen Creek, Ariz., needs game experience.

If Vizzina ultimately establishes himself as Clemson's unquestioned starter, the Tigers still need to prepare the quarterback behind him for the possibility that he may eventually be needed.

As for Vizzina, he isn't exactly a seasoned starter himself, so playing time for him is also important ahead of next weekend’s ACC opener against North Carolina.

Getting Reynolds meaningful snaps now could pay off later, regardless of where the competition eventually lands.

But Swinney hasn't described this simply as developing a backup.

He continues to use the language of competition.

On Tuesday, Swinney declined to explain how the snaps would be divided against Georgia Southern. When asked specifically whether Clemson might use something similar to the early 2018 rotation between Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence, Swinney wouldn't offer details.

“I'm not going to get into specifics of how we're going to manage the quarterbacks other than they're both going to play,” Swinney said.

Then came perhaps his most telling assessment of the situation.

“Eventually something's going to happen one way or another, but we’ve got to go play,” Swinney said. “You'll continue to see them both.”

Wednesday didn't provide any more clarity on how Clemson will divide those opportunities.

Swinney was asked after practice whether the team knew internally who would run onto the field first Saturday. He acknowledged the question but immediately declined to discuss the specifics.

“Again, I'm not going to answer any of those things other than just that they'll both play,” Swinney said.

That makes when Reynolds enters Saturday almost as interesting as how he performs.

If one quarterback receives the bulk of Clemson's meaningful possessions before the other enters later, the situation could begin to look more like a starter being supplemented by a developing backup.

If Vizzina and Reynolds both receive significant opportunities while the game remains competitive, Clemson may still be conducting a much more direct evaluation of its two quarterbacks.

Swinney isn't tipping his hand.

For now, Clemson knows it wants to see both.

For me, the issue is how Vizzina would handle the situation if Reynolds gets the nod.

What the Tigers are still trying to find out, and what tomorrow against Georgia Southern may begin to reveal, is whether they're preparing their No. 2 quarterback or still trying to identify their No. 1.