One Question Each Offensive Position For Clemson Has This Spring

With a new offensive coordinator and lots of departures, there are plenty of questions for the Clemson Tigers' offense going into the 2026 season.

Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris will have a lot to prove going into his first season back with the Tigers' offense. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After the 2025 season for the Clemson Tigers, a lot has changed, and as this spring continues to hold practices, the team is going to have a lot of differences. 

Head coach Dabo Swinney’s group had one of the top retented teams in the country going into last season, and a big senior class now has new faces looking to take the reins, especially on offense. 

With so much switches from 2025 to 2026, this is a question that we have for each position group.

Quarterback: Will Christopher Vizzina Break Away From The Other Candidates?

Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) throws during Spring football practice at the Reeves Football Complex in Clemson, SC Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina has waited his turn to be the Tigers’ starting signal-caller since joining the program in 2023, but others behind him want the position just as much. 

The Birmingham, Alabama, native has been “in pole position” for the starting spot, according to Swinney, back in January. That doesn’t mean that the likes of Chris Denson, Trent Pearman or even Tait Reynolds could take away the position from him. 

Swinney is prone to going with the most experienced guy in the room during situations like these, so the question will strictly be how far away Vizzina runs with it during the spring and summer. Fans will get a better idea with this during Clemson’s spring game at the end of the month. 

Offensive coordinator Chad Morris has seen his growth as a leader, though, and that will help make him optimistic that he can run with it. 

“I think he’s gained a lot of respect from the players, and nothing has deterred that over the first two practices for me,” Morris said. “I think that he has taken ownership and when good things are helping and when things aren’t so good, he’s been the same guy.”

Running Back: How Many Running Backs Will Be Normal Under Morris’s System?

Clemson running back Chris Johnson Jr (16) during Spring football practice at the Reeves Football Complex in Clemson, SC Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Morris’s introductory press conference, he said that his offense is going to be “a two-back, play action shot football team”, but it will also be one that prioritizes success on the ground. 

“Well, first of all, we are going to run the football,” he said last week. “We have to run the football. We have to establish a run to this offense.”

Multiple tailbacks will be used throughout the season, and the offense has value at the position, with each back bringing something promising that will be Morris’s decision hard to pick out just two or three. 

Sophomore Gideon Davidson is expected to take a jump, but Jay Haynes was supposed to be the starting back before suffering a torn ACL in the 2024 ACC Championship, missing all of 2025. Players like David Eziomume and Jarvis Green could take jumps as well, making them candidates to see time. 

We haven’t even mentioned Chris Johnson Jr. yet, which was Morris’s recommendation. He will be used throughout stint of drives next season as well. 

The Clemson offense has some decisions to make, especially in games against Miami and LSU, where Morris will have to limit his picks down a notch, and that will be a storyline to watch as competition continues to grow in a still-young offseason. 

Wide Receiver: How Much Influence Will the Freshmen Receiver Trio Have Ahead of the Season?

Clemson wide receiver Naeem Burroughs (0) during Spring football practice at the Reeves Football Complex in Clemson, SC Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Maybe except for the key returns of Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore, Swinney went out and picked up standout freshmen Gordon Sellars III, Naeem Burroughs and Connor Salmin to the program, all joining as mid-year enrollees. 

The coaching staff has bright expectations for the group, pushing them from the first day of practice. 

“We’ve just really challenged them, play fast and just be decisive in everything you do,” Morris said, “but they’re very eager to learn and eager to get on the field.”

With extra months to prepare for their freshmen seasons, there is plenty of buzz for any of the three to break through and potentially get a starting role by the middle of the season. Wesco and Moore should be shoe-ins for two of the spots, but the the role that Antonio Williams served on the team over the last four years will need to be filled. 

So, will it be a returner like Tyler Brown or Cole Turner, or will one of the freshman trio be the one to take advantage of the opportunity? All it could take is a standout play in the spring game or in practice highlights to take the Clemson fandom by storm for any of them.  

Tight End: How Will Christian Bentancur and Olsen Patt-Henry’s Role Differ?

Clemson tight end Christian Bentancur (87) during the first Spring football practice open to media in Clemson, SC Friday, Feb 27, 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It seems like Morris has plans for both redshirt sophomore Christian Bentancur and Olsen Patt-Henry to be consistent contributors in 2026. While Bentancur led the room in receiving yards with 215 yards, Patt-Henry played an important role in defending the run. 

Morris went more into detail about Patt-Henry, a senior leader on this team, looking for him to see a role in a position that is “one of the hardest positions on this field to play,” perhaps outside of quarterback. He even gave him a comparison to one of the best tight ends in program history, Dwayne Allen. 

“I firmly believe that Olsen has a chance to be very special in this offense,” Morris said. “I think he’s very versatile, he can put his hand on the ground, set a point, and obviously step off the ball and be able ot do the motion around how people are going to play him.”

While Bentancur brings upside as a receiver, watching how Morris’s offense will implement the duo will help shape the view of how good this offense can be in 2026 and beyond. 

Offensive Line: How Many Linemen Could Play Tackle Next Season?

Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke during the first Spring football practice open to media in Clemson, SC Friday, Feb 27, 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Swinney was adamant about how good this offensive line room could be in 2026, speaking highly about it at the end of February. That included his thoughts at tackle, losing cornerstone pieces in Tristan Leigh and Blake Miller. 

“I think we’re going to have more tackles than we’ve had in quite a while, which is huge,” Swinney said on Feb. 25. “I think we've probably got eight guys that can play tackle for us.”

Of course, that number can change, but the amount of players that Swinney and offensive line coach Matt Luke have crosstrained around the line has allowed the group to have a lot of versatility at the position. 

We haven’t spoken about the freshmen that Clemson picked up at lineman either, with five players being inside the top 35 in the 2026 class at their respective position, according to On3. Even if one of those players breaks through during the summer, it could raise Swinney’s number. 

Five are the most important for the group, and losing four of its starters of the unit in 2025 will be critical to fill. Swinney thinks he has the guys though, and that will be important to monitor if it changes.