Clemson QB Chris Denson Moving to New Role on Offense

At the beginning of January, there was talk about Clemson quarterback Chris Denson competing for the starting role in 2026. Now, it’s quite the opposite.

He might not see quarterback snaps at all.

Tuesday marked Clemson football’s annual media outing, when every coach has the opportunity to speak about the program heading into the 2026 season. First, it was new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who shared the quarterback situation, among other things.

One of those things was Denson, regarding where he stands ahead of the next season.

“Chris has been a guy that’s still working some quarterback,” Morris said on Tuesday. “He’s just a hybrid guy moving around, and I think Chris is a guy that, you know, we know he’s electric with the ball in his hands, and so [we’re] trying to find a way to get the ball in his hands.”

After the spring game back in March, head coach Dabo Swinney spoke about Denson’s role going forward, saying that he was behind quarterbacks Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds on the depth chart.

“He’ll help us because, again, he’s got a unique skillset that we can use, but, just limited in the pass game right now with where he is developmentally, and I think he’ll keep getting better,” he said.

That “unique skillset” looks to be either in the backfield or out wide as a gadget piece for the Tigers in 2026. Morris doesn’t quite have a name for the position, but it will have him all over the field.

“I mean, since we broke from spring, and just kind of working these guys through summer and the conditioning and going through skills and drills, I mean, he’s bounced all over in the summer,” Morris said.

“He’s played some wide receiver; he’s been some in the backfield. We’ve had him, I mean, he’s just kind of been all over the place.”

Denson took the program by storm during the Tigers’ win over Furman at the end of November. He only played two full series, but it ended in two touchdown drives. He rushed six times for 106 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run to cap off his final drive.

He completed a four-year pass to tight end Logan Brooking for the first passing touchdown of his career, the drive before.

It might be a bump in the road for the Plant City, Fla., native, but with the way that he moved against the Paladins, it will be tough to keep him off the field. He’s best with the ball in his hands, after all.

“I mean, it’s just kind of moving him around, trying to find a place to get him the ball,” Morris added.

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