Christopher Vizzina Shows Poise in First Career Start Despite Loss to SMU

When Clemson took the field Saturday without starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, who was sidelined with a lingering ankle injury from the Boston College game, the focus turned to redshirt sophomore Christopher Vizzina.

In his first career start, the Birmingham native responded with maturity and composure, completing 29 of 42 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in Clemson’s 35–24 loss to SMU at Memorial Stadium — a performance that provided an encouraging glimpse into the Tigers’ future at quarterback despite offensive inconsistencies and late defensive breakdowns.

Entering Saturday, many around the program questioned whether Vizzina was ready to lead Clemson at the Power Four level. His performance against SMU went a long way toward answering that.

Early in the game, Clemson’s conservative playcalling limited Vizzina’s opportunities — a missed chance, considering he played with more poise than Klubnik has shown for much of the season.

“I thought for sure at the end of this game, we would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Clemson’s quarterback for the future was on this roster,” William Qualkinbush said during Clemson’s postgame coverage. “There were things about Christopher Vizzina that you still want to see more of — but he did a ton of really good things. He didn’t lose you the football game today, and in fact, he was one of the reasons you had a chance to win.”

Head coach Dabo Swinney echoed that sentiment after the game.

“He competed his butt off,” Swinney said. “He got better as the game went, and his pass efficiency was outstanding — 156. You talk about 317 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in your first real pressure situation? The kid showed a lot of fire.”

Vizzina entered the day facing challenging circumstances. Clemson’s run game sputtered, finishing with just 35 yards on the ground. The Tigers were without their starting left tackle and lost left guard Collin Sadler during the contest. Standout receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. missed most of the second half after a scary injury, and his status moving forward remains uncertain. Even so, Vizzina maintained control of the offense, leading four scoring drives and showing steady confidence in the pocket.

After the game, Vizzina was reflective, balancing pride in his performance with a quarterback’s instinct to critique himself.

“There’s some good and some bad,” Vizzina told Clemson play-by-play voice Don Munson. “I didn’t think I made enough plays to help the team in critical situations. Once we started to get it rolling, you could see the confidence flowing. I thought I played average.”

Munson disagreed, telling him he’d played “better than average,” but Vizzina continued to credit his teammates for rallying behind him.

“It takes a lot for a team to rally around someone who hasn’t gone in there,” Vizzina said. “I really appreciate these guys for encouraging me. I thought I didn’t do enough for us to win, but there were a lot of good things too.”

Swinney said he was proud of how his young quarterback handled the moment, especially late in the game.

“We didn’t help him,” Swinney said. “Zero run game. Poor in short yardage. We didn’t protect well in a couple spots, but he was 4-for-4 on that last touchdown drive and gave us a chance. For a kid who hasn’t played in a game-on-the-line situation, that was impressive.”

The Tigers couldn’t capitalize after that final score, as SMU closed the game with a 13-play, 75-yard drive to ice the contest with 1:03 left to play. Still, Swinney emphasized that Vizzina’s effort gives Clemson something to build upon heading into its open date.

“There’s no quit in this group,” Swinney said. “We’ve got to get healthy, get back to running the ball, and keep building. Christopher gave us something today we can grow from.”

The performance called to mind Cole Stoudt’s 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl, when he stepped in for an injured Deshaun Watson and threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 40–6 win over Oklahoma — the last time a backup quarterback replaced a starter due to injury before kickoff.

Vizzina’s 156.0 passer efficiency rating nearly matched Watson’s career average of 157.5, showcasing that he was far from average.

While Swinney didn’t commit to any quarterback decisions beyond this week, the upcoming bye will allow Klubnik additional time to recover — and the staff more time to evaluate Vizzina’s performance. Saturday, at least, offered a chance to see that Clemson’s future under center isn’t necessarily as bleak as some feared heading into the SMU game.

That doesn’t mean Swinney and his staff can avoid exploring the transfer portal this offseason. There will likely be quarterbacks available with more experience and perhaps more polish than Vizzina. Still, the remainder of this season will give Clemson a valuable chance to see whether its young signal-caller can grow into the role.

The good news is, as the two-time national championship-winning head coach noted after the game, “Christopher Vizzina played well enough to win,” Swinney said. “He just needed a little more help.”

Time and opportunity will tell whether the Tigers enter 2026 with Vizzina as QB1 in Tiger Town — but for one Saturday in Death Valley, the sophomore proved he belongs in that conversation.