In last Saturday’s contest at Boston College, Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 220 yards on 22/30 passing while running for 48 on 9 carries. Unfortunately, one of those carries led to a sprained ankle and that ankle may now preclude him from playing against SMU.
Being listed as questionable means he will most likely not play. Even if he does play, it sounds
like his mobility will be severely limited which harkens back to a 2017 game at Syracuse when Kelly Bryant was limited and ended up getting further injured as a result of his immobility. Clemson was a 10-point favorite, but that has plummeted to 5 points and many (including myself) have flipped their picks to SMU.
In most seasons, this would be horrible news. If Clemson had beaten Georgia Tech or Syracuse we’d still be hoping for a second-half run to the playoff, however at 3-3 that’s largely out of the question. In this scenario, the opportunity to see Christopher Vizzina get meaningful playing time may work out to be a positive. SMU has the worst pass defense in the ACC. Vizzina has gotten the bulk of the practice reps with the starters. He should be well-prepared and set-up for success. This is the perfect opportunity to prove he is capable of starting for the Tigers in 2026
It was only three weeks ago that fans were calling for Vizzina to play due to Klubnik’s struggles against Syracuse. Now, we’ll get that chance. If he plays well and Clemson wins, we will have hope for the 2026 season. If the reverse happens, at least Coach Swinney will know he needs to get serious about using the portal for a starting QB. In either case, this happening now will be valuable.
If Clemson can win with Vizzina heading into their second open date, they’ll have incredible momentum. Even winning with a hobbled Cade Klubnik, should he play, would be a boost.
A worst case scenario is a loss with Klubnik where we learn nothing and the season goes back into a downward spiral, but the opportunity to see Vizzina in a big time moment and not only get a glimpse at the future but start figuring out what that future is at QB is awfully interesting.
