Clemson football may not have its starting quarterback officially settled, and one ESPN analyst believes fans could see more than one signal-caller in the season opener against LSU.
During an appearance on the Gramlich and Mac Lain podcast, ESPN and ACC Network analyst EJ Manuel said he wouldn’t be surprised if both Christopher Vizzina and true freshman Tait Reynolds take snaps when the Tigers open the season in Baton Rouge on Sept. 5.
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While Manuel expects Vizzina to have the inside track entering fall camp, he believes Reynolds has enough talent to see the field, especially in a difficult road environment.
“Normally I would say, heck no, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Tait Reynolds at least gets his feet wet and gets some run,” Manuel said. “I don’t know if it’s a package…I’m not saying go out there and be rolling with the offense. Now, if Vizzina is stinking it up, if he’s the starter and not playing well, as a head coach, you’ve got to do what you have to do.”
Manuel stressed that Vizzina would deserve every opportunity to establish himself as the starter, but said Swinney can’t hesitate to make a change if necessary.
“He’s going to give you an opportunity, but you’ve got to go out there and play well.”
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Former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain compared the situation to Clemson’s 2014 opener at Georgia, when true freshman Deshaun Watson played early despite Cole Stoudt entering the season as the starter. However, he was quick to point out this isn’t the same scenario.
“This is not a Cole Stoudt/Deshaun Watson situation. Not yet, at least. Not that I know of,” Mac Lain said. “I don’t think Tait is quite what Deshaun was coming in.”
Mac Lain recalled Watson entering during the third series and immediately throwing a touchdown pass to Charone Peake before returning to the sideline.
“We’ll see how they handle it. We’ll see if two guys truly play, or if one can separate when we get into fall camp.”
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Unlike that 2014 team, Clemson now has Chad Morris back as offensive coordinator, and Mac Lain believes that adds another wrinkle to the competition.
“They’ve got a new coordinator. And Chad Morris doesn’t know jack about either of them.”
Because Morris didn’t recruit or coach either quarterback previously, Mac Lain believes every practice becomes another evaluation.
“He’s live-evaluating every single day who’s going to be that guy.”
Manuel said conversations with Dabo Swinney this offseason left him believing the Clemson coach has confidence in both quarterbacks. He praised Vizzina for remaining committed to the program despite waiting his turn and noted Swinney became especially animated when discussing Reynolds’ potential.
“Coach Swinney’s eyebrows kinda raised when he started talking about Tait Reynolds,” Manuel said.
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Even so, Manuel believes Vizzina’s experience inside the program gives him an advantage.
“I have seen Chris Vizzina play, and I do think, if he is the starter – I think he can hold that position, and I do think Clemson is going to win a lot of games with Vizzina for sure.”
Whether Clemson sticks with one quarterback or uses both against LSU could depend on how the competition unfolds during fall camp. But with a challenging road opener awaiting, the battle for QB1 remains one of the Tigers’ biggest storylines entering the 2026 season.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Will Clemson play two quarterbacks in 2026? Analysts dive into Tigers’ QBs
