Clemson's Quarterback Update Heading Into Friday's Matchup With Cal

Clemson football looks to garner more ACC momentum out west with the Cal Golden Bears waiting on Friday night, but a position group remains the most important from a health standpoint: quarterback.

Head coach Dabo Swinney gave an update regarding the position’s situation, which will continue to monitor the situation of quarterback Christopher Vizzina, who went into the season as the team’s starter. Now, he is listed as probable to be available against Cal this weekend.

However, he will have to get through true freshman Tait Reynolds first, who got comfortable enough to lead the Tigers to a 22-3 second-half finish in the win over North Carolina.

“He’s a tough kid, and CV’s better,” Swinney said on Tuesday. “He’s made a lot of progress each day, took some reps yesterday. So, I mean, he’s getting better each day, and the biggest thing I said, it’s short-term.”

If Vizzina doesn’t play on Friday, it will be graduate senior quarterback Trent Pearman to backup Reynolds on the Pacific Coast. Pearman has played limited numbers for the Tigers across his career, only recording 43 passing yards and an interception, but he brings a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year Award honor to the state of South Carolina.

Swinney sees the impact he could bring, if needed to play, to the group for the remainder of the season.

“We’ve got two good players there; I feel really confident with Trent,” he said. “I feel really confident with him as far as just, he doesn’t have the arm talent as those guys, but he just knows it, he sees it, he understands it. He’s going to be on-time, and he can play.”

Another true freshman, Brock Bradley, has also had his reps grow throughout the last two weeks with Vizzina out, meaning if he needs to go in, it won’t be game over.

For Reynolds, though, it’s a work in progress. The Queen Creek, Ariz., native finished with 215 yards and a touchdown with an interception last weekend in the win, but playing away for his second start in college football will be a tall task. It will also be against a tough Cal team that has also began ACC play with a win, beating Syracuse away as well.

Swinney said to expect the growing pains that playing a freshman quarterback brings.

“We’re going to have to grow with him,” he said. “I mean, there’s going to be some moments where you just take a deep breath, but it’s a lot. It’s a lot, but he is super talented and he can do some things that are unique and I’m excited about his future.”

However, he does have the backing of the team, who sees the excitement that the fans rumbled about throughout the wins over Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern. Now, all it takes for a strong performance in a primetime game to put him on the national level.

Fortunately, Clemson has the chance to do that on Friday night.

“You play a couple games, and then there were just some things that Tait did, especially with the extended play in the Georgia Southern game of like, ‘Okay, there were mistakes, but there were also some things that you were really excited about,’” Swinney said, “and you could see the team kind of the same way.”

Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. EST with the game to be broadcast on ESPN.

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