ESPN's Pre-Spring QB Rankings Aren't Kind to Clemson Tigers

With the Clemson Tigers' roster set and spring practice underway, national outlets are rolling out their pre-spring rankings — and at least one isn't feeling too optimistic about the program heading into the 2026 season.

On Thursday morning, ESPN's Bill Connelly dropped his pre-spring QB rankings for all 68 Power Four teams, with Clemson's projected starter, Christopher Vizzina, landing at the No. 52 spot.

Over the past three years, the former four-star prospect has spent most of his time on the sideline as he's sat behind Cade Klubnik his entire career.

In 2025, he made his first and only start of his career due to an ankle sprain Klubnik had suffered a week prior, and he made the most of it, completing 29-of-42 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-24 loss against SMU.

But Connelly wasn't overly impressed with the performance, though he did acknowledge some reason for optimism.

"Vizzina was decent in his only career start -- he threw for 317 yards and three TDs (albeit at just 6.4 yards per dropback) in a 35-24 loss to SMU -- and having receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. at his disposal will help," he wrote."

The Tigers also added Naeem Burroughs — a top-15 receiver in the 2026 class — along with consensus four-stars Connor Salmin and Gordon Sellars.

"All three of them can really, really run. We hit on them. I mean, it's an elite class," head coach Dabo Swinney said on Wednesday. "They're not elite, elite college football players yet, but they're elite talent, you know?"

Their most significant addition heading into next season, however, is offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who was a precursor of Clemson's mid-2010s dynasty. From 2011 to 2014, he consistently guided the Tigers to some of the most productive offenses in the country, but after departing for head coaching opportunities — and later for other coordinator roles — that same success never followed.

That lack of recent results, combined with Clemson's inconsistent offense over the past five years, leaves Connelly skeptical that Morris's return alone is enough to turn things around.

"But after only one top-40 finish in offensive SP+ in the past five seasons, the Clemson offense no longer gets the benefit of the doubt, and that doesn't change with new/old offensive coordinator Chad Morris taking over -- he hasn't overseen a good college offense since 2017," he finished.

As of now, there's no starter set in place as Vizzina still has to earn his spot over true freshmen Tait Reynolds and Brock Bradley. Still, Swinney has high hopes for his signal caller as spring practice gets underway, saying he wants the redshirt junior to seize the starting job and run with it from day one.

"I want to see him, you know, take it and run with it," he said. "He's, as I said, got the pole position, so I want to see him show up every day, not get too high, not get too low, and just show up every single day and prove it, just bring that edge every day."