Dabo Swinney is facing tremendous heat for a turnaround after a disappointing 2025 season. This time, though, he also doesn’t have his proven QB, Cade Klubnik, and the impending QB battle hasn’t yet ended. Redshirt Junior Christopher Vizzina seems like the understood QB1, but freshman Tait Reynolds is still not out of contention. Amid that, it seems redshirt freshman Chris Denson is finally out of that QB1 race as the program is exploring varied roles for him.

Clemson’s new offensive coordinator, Chad Morris, speaking to the media on Tuesday, didn’t rule out Chris Denson from his plans. Instead, he implied that the QB will be used in more of a hybrid role, where he could also play WR/RB for the team.

“We’re trying to find a spot for him,” Morris said to the reporters about Denson’s role this season.

Denson is a talented dual-threat QB from Florida and had played just 11 offensive snaps last year while redshirting. In those limited appearances, though, he has still completed 4 of his 4 passes for 22 yards for a TD. Not just that, he has also run for 108 yards on seven carries. That kind of athleticism is the primary reason Clemson is valuing him so highly this year. The only problem? The QB role is already seemingly sealed.

“Coming out of spring, CV (Christopher Vizzina) is our guy,” Morris said in March. “But there’s still competition. No one signed a lifetime contract. Have they mastered it? No, they haven’t mastered it.  But have they gotten better? Yeah, they have, but I want to keep them uncomfortable, too. Tait’s done a really good job this spring, and it was his day to, kind of, get those reps.”

Tait is the brother of Utah linebacker Trey Reynolds and became the first signee from Arizona since 1991. Like Denson, he is also a talented dual-threat QB as he passed for 2,238 yards and rushed for 1,426 yards as a junior in 2024. Add to that, Tait has shown consistent improvements and leadership throughout the spring. And now entering the fall camp, he is the consensus No. 2 choice for the QB1 spot at Clemson. As for Denson?

Despite his modest numbers last season, the Florida QB boasts 4,813 passing yards and 1,940 rushing yards in his high school career. While doing that, he also had eight 100-yard rushing games and led his high school to a 9-3 record in his senior season in 2024. Considering his knowledge of the receiver routes and explosive rushing ability, Clemson can easily find a spot for him on the first team.

Chad Morris opens up about the final stretch of the QB1 battle

At the WR position, junior T.J Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. are already talented. Never mind that the RB unit has already got a great boost with the addition of SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr and sophomore Gideon Davidson. Johnson Jr was especially pivotal for SMU last year as he rushed for 479 yards for four touchdowns and also received for 180 yards. Considering Gideon Davidson’s (260 rushing yards) relative inexperience, Denson can easily man the RB position if needed.

As for the QB1 position, though, Vizzina seems like the obvious guy. He threw for only 406 yards last season, but that was because his playing time was limited. He has improved greatly in the offseason and has leaped the QB spot.

“I think competition makes everybody better, and I think you’re going to see that during the torso fall camp,” Morris said about the final stretch of the QB battle on Tuesday. “But you know clearly, CV is our guy starting camp out. But they’ve [Tait and Vizzinha] both had an incredible summer and are going to finish up over the next couple of weeks, and so we anticipate it being a great competition, not just in the quarterback position, but all positions.”

Vizzina is arguably one of the most experienced players on Clemson’s roster. He played in 14 games last season and also made a start against SMU. Although the team lost 24-35, Vizzina’s 317 passing yards for 3 touchdowns showed flashes of brilliance. And that’s exactly what Dabo Swinney and Chad Morris are hoping to do with him. Not to mention, he deserves it, too, having waited for the opportunity for three years behind Cade Klubnik.