Story by
Would Dabo Swinney bench QB Cade Klubnik for Christopher Vizzina after Clemson's 1-2 start?
- Story by
- Would Dabo Swinney bench QB Cade Klubnik for Christopher Vizzina after Clemson's 1-2 start?
CLEMSON — Clemson football quarterback Cade Klubnik 's play has regressed from last season, causing some fans to wonder if backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina needs to replace the senior.
Yet, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney isn't giving up on his starter as the Tigers prepare to host Syracuse (2-1) on Sept. 20 (noon ET, ESPN) at Memorial Stadium.
Advertisement
"We put (Vizzina) in there once on a short-yardage deal, but Cade's our guy," Swinney said Sept. 15 on his radio show in response to a listener's text question. "He'll be fine. He definitely knows what he's got to do to get back on track."
The Tigers (1-2, 0-1 ACC) are unranked in both polls after losing to LSU and Georgia Tech and struggling against Troy, a Group of Five program. Klubnik's play is a major reason for Clemson's struggles, completing 59.1% of his throws for 633 yards, four touchdowns (one rushing) and four turnovers (three interceptions).
Klubnik entered the season as a Heisman Trophy contender and a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was also among multiple Clemson players who returned for another season instead of going to the NFL. Yet, his inconsistent play has caused him to fall out of Heisman conversations and contributed to Clemson's rough start.
He has turned the ball over in every game this season , tying for the most interceptions thrown by an ACC quarterback this season. He has four turnovers through three games after only having seven with 43 touchdowns in 14 games last season.
Advertisement
"He's not playing like he finished the season last year, but we got to help him, and we got to get him back in sync because that guy can win for us at a high, high level," Swinney said.
Klubnik's regression has some wanting to see what Vizzina, a former four-star quarterback from Alabama , can do. He has appeared in 10 career games over three seasons, completing 19 for 34 passes for 190 yards and one rushing touchdown.
MORE: Dabo Swinney fires back at critics after unranked Clemson football's worst start in a decade
Vizzina won the backup quarterback job last season over walk-on Trent Pearman and is Klubnik's likely successor. Clemson tries to add a quarterback in every recruiting cycle but didn't take one in 2024 because of the team's belief in Vizzina, who the Tigers signed in 2023.
Advertisement
If Clemson's offense continues to struggle, averaging 19.3 points (111th nationally), Swinney could face more questions about Klubnik's status as a starter. It would be a similar situation to when Klubnik replaced DJ Uiagalelei in 2022.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Would Dabo Swinney bench QB Cade Klubnik?
