Clemson True Freshman QB Details Journey After Breakout Performance

Following the Clemson Tigers' 45-10 blowout win over FCS opponent Furman, all eyes turned to the team's fourth-quarter performance as true freshman Chris Denson stepped behind center and delivered one of the most entertaining spurts of the season in Death Valley.

In just two drives, Denson completed 100% of his passes for 22 yards and one touchdown to fellow true freshman Logan Brooking. But the most impressive part of his performance was the mobility and speed he showcased, carrying the ball six times for 106 yards and one touchdown, including a 50-yard burst that lit up Death Valley.

After the contest, Denson spoke to the media for the first time and opened up about how he's leaned on faith throughout this season, as he watched most games from the sideline in 2025.

"I don't think [being patient] has been challenging at all," Denson said. "It's God's timing. That's really growing my faith here. Especially Coach [Dabo] Swinney, he's been helping us do that — growing with our faith. It's God's timing and out of my hands."

The 6-foot-2 signal caller was an underrated gem in the 2025 class, not getting calls from Alabama or Georgia, but a three-star Coastal Carolina commit who largely flew under the radar.

However, in Denson's final high school game, the dual-threat talent exploded for 437 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns with Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley in attendance.

Three days later, Denson received a call from head coach Dabo Swinney with the offer. By the next day, he had decommitted from Coastal Carolina and wasted no time flipping to the Tigers.

"It was an unreal feeling," Denson recalled. "He came to see me play my last high school game. I think I had 500 yards that game. Then, Coach Swinney called me that Monday after the game, and everything has been a blessing since then."

With his recruitment story now firmly behind him and his first meaningful snaps under his belt, Denson reiterated how much his foundation of faith has guided him throughout his experience at Clemson.

"It's all God," he continued. "I've been trusting in him and praying about it. I don't really feel like any of that stuff has really made me feel any certain type of way — overwhelmed or anything. It's all up to God."

As he's navigated through the ups and downs of being a fourth-string true freshman at Clemson, Denson hasn't done it alone.

Starting quarterback Cade Klubnik has been one of the voices guiding him through the adjustment, sharing what his own first year looked like, when he played only 78 snaps through the regular season despite arriving as a five-star recruit.

"He just told me how it was when he got here," Denson relayed. "We had a conversation last week about how I'm feeling and how everything is. Our stories kind of aligned from whenever he got here, so he helped me get through that."