Clemson freshman QB Christopher Vizzina is 'special'

Clemson has yet to land a commitment from a class of 2024 quarterback, in part because the Tigers signed an elite one in the class of 2023.

Clemson landed four-star QB Christopher Vizzina in this past year’s recruiting cycle as Vizzina chose the Tigers over offers from Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and others.

Vizzina enrolled at Clemson in January and is currently taking part in spring practice. He has impressed Tigers coach Dabo Swinney and everyone else in the Clemson program this spring.

“CV’s special. I mean it’s easy to see,” Swinney said. “The guy’s gifted. He’s only 17 years old. He’s a young guy. He’s got a bright, bright future.”

Vizzina might only be 17 years old, but he looks like someone who has been in a college weight lifting program for years.

He is big and strong and looks more like a senior than a freshman in terms of size and build.

Vizzina is also starting to adjust to the speed of the game at the college football level. Enrolling early has been very beneficial for him as he competes for the backup quarterback job behind Clemson sophomore Cade Klubnik.

“CV, it’s slowing down for him,” Swinney said. “Now that he’s here and he can go back through it this summer, and by the time we get to fall camp he’s going to get it for the third time. That kid’s just going to get better and better. We’ve got a really good situation.”

Vizzina, Klubnik and the rest of Clemson’s quarterbacks are working to master new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s system.

Those two, along with Hunter Helms and Paul Tyson, have worked in the system this spring. As Swinney alluded to, they will continue to study the playbook and learn the system in skills and drills this summer, before fall camp begins in the preseason.

Learning a new offensive system has been an adjustment for all of Clemson’s quarterbacks, but Swinney believes it will make the Tigers better in the long run.

Riley’s system helped TCU reach the national title game last season as Horned Frogs QB Max Duggan was named a Heisman finalist.

“This is definitely a very quarterback-friendly offense, for sure. I mean very, very, very quarterback friendly,” Swinney said. “Philosophy wise we’re really not any different. The method really isn’t any different than what we’ve always done since 2011. The biggest change is procedurally how we’re doing some things and a few tweaks here and there with how we signal, how we communicate, cadence, some more package opportunities that the quarterback has some flexibility in. So it’s been fun, man.”