Quarterbacks don’t usually wait around anymore. In today’s college game, when playing time isn’t immediate, the transfer portal often becomes the next step. Chris Vizzina has chosen a very different path.
Now entering his third season at Clemson, the former top-100 recruit has remained behind Cade Klubnik, learning and developing rather than searching for a quicker opportunity elsewhere. For him, the idea of leaving has never been on the table.
“This place is very special,” Vizzina said. “I love Clemson just because of Clemson. I obviously like Clemson football; I love Clemson football. But Clemson itself, I have fallen in love with. My family has fallen in love with it. This isn’t a place I want to leave.”
Vizzina arrived in 2023 with more than 30 scholarship offers from some of the nation’s best programs, fully aware that a redshirt season awaited him. Two years later, he’s still behind Klubnik on the depth chart, but his growth has been obvious to teammates and coaches. Dabo Swinney has praised his maturity, noting how much he’s progressed while biding his time.
That improvement has come from steady work. “I really think it’s reps,” Vizzina said. “When I look back over the past two years, I think the more reps I was able to get and I earned to get the reps, I was able to develop and make big strides, and I had to earn those reps. I’m not just saying that I needed more reps, but as I got more reps, I felt like I developed. And then with that came a lot of confidence, and my teammates have a lot of confidence in me. I just feel like the past two years have really helped me, and I needed those two years.”
While some in his shoes might be frustrated, Vizzina has taken advantage of the unique opportunity to learn behind a quarterback he considers one of the nation’s best.
“I could sit here and complain about not playing, or I can look at it from a perspective that I am sitting behind one of the best players in college football,” he said. “I can learn from him and all the experiences he has had. I have been able to learn a lot from just sitting right behind him and watching what is going on with him.”
That patience could soon pay off. Though he remains the backup, he’s also one play away from being the starter, and there’s no doubt inside the program that he’s ready if called upon.
“My teammates have seen it, and the coaches have seen it,” Vizzina said. “They have seen me put in the work over the past couple of years and really develop. The confidence that comes with that, every time I go out there, I feel like everyone has confidence in me.”
Vizzina’s story is increasingly rare in college football. Instead of chasing the fastest path to the field, he’s trusted the long route, betting that when his time finally arrives, he’ll be more prepared than ever.
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