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Christopher Vizzina Out, Tait Reynolds Starts Clemson-UNC

By JR·2 min read
Christopher Vizzina Out, Tait Reynolds Starts Clemson-UNC

TLDR: Clemson is turning to a true freshman quarterback for its ACC opener after Christopher Vizzina's elbow injury ruled him out against North Carolina.

  1. Clemson fans spent the week bracing for this, and Saturday morning it became official: Christopher Vizzina is not playing against UNC. Pete Thamel confirmed the news, and it means Tait Reynolds, a true freshman, gets his first career start in a conference opener.

    Pete Thamel
    Pete Thamel
    @PeteThamel

    Christopher Vizzina is not expected to play against UNC today, per sources. He’s dealing with an elbow injury on his non-throwing arm.

    Pete ThamelPete Thamel@PeteThamel

    Sources: Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina is considered week-to-week after injuring his elbow against Georgia Southern. Freshman Tait Reynolds is the expected starter against UNC, which will be the first of his career. t.co/znMiH7ITjh

    The injury goes back to last Saturday's 22-7 win over Georgia Southern. Vizzina threw a 10-yard touchdown early, then got hurt on his non-throwing elbow and was pulled after an interception on his next series, according to ESPN. He's been labeled week-to-week ever since, and Dabo Swinney went ahead and named Reynolds the starter for UNC earlier this week rather than wait until gameday.

    Reynolds isn't walking into this cold. He played extensive relief snaps against Georgia Southern, going 16-of-27 for 178 yards while leading 5 scoring drives once he took over for Vizzina. He was candid about the rough patches afterward, saying, "There are mistakes that we all made, and personally I made a lot," per ESPN's report on the situation.

    The historical weight of this start is real. Per Live 5 News, Reynolds becomes the earliest a true freshman quarterback has started a game for Clemson since Steve Fuller and Willie Jordan did it more than 50 years ago. That's not a small distinction at a program that's had a run of elite starting quarterbacks over the last decade.

    Swinney isn't hiding his confidence in the freshman either. He's talked up Reynolds' "moxie" and gone as far as comparing his competitive streak to Tim Tebow's, per Live 5 News' reporting from this week. That's the kind of comp a coach doesn't throw around lightly, especially about a guy who hasn't started a college game yet.

    None of that erases the reality of the matchup. UNC is a legit ACC test to open conference play, and Clemson is handing the keys to a true freshman with zero starts on his resume. If Reynolds struggles early, expect the questions about Vizzina's timeline to only get louder — and if he settles in, this could be the first chapter of a much bigger story in Clemson, South Carolina.

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