Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
Spring is a time for questions around the world of college football. Early enrollees and incoming transfers from the portal are all in abundance. This is also the first time since the portal opened that there will not be a Spring window.
Everyone has questions. Will those questions be answered in time for Fall? LSU isn’t a team that is short on questions of their own, but let’s take a look at the upcoming season schedule with one question for each opponent starting with the Clemson Tigers.
One question for the Clemson Tigers: Will a new quarterback and new offensive coordinator fix their problems?
Outside of 80-year-olds in Senate seats and the Cracker Barrel logo, few things fear change more than Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. Not only was Dabo the loudest, and most resistant, to adapting to changes with the transfer portal, he was also one of the most fortunate coaches at avoiding change amongst his staff.
Clemson is finalizing a multi-year contract for new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, per ESPN sources. The deal is nearing completion and pending Board of Trustees Review on Monday. This confirms what @LarryWilliamsTI reported earlier, that Morris is headed back to Clemson. pic.twitter.com/f4bLqIXFXh
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 3, 2026
Two things that Clemson seemed to always have during their incredible decade-long run of dominance was elite quarterback play and a familiar face at both coordinator poistions. Dabo Swinney was never short on five-star, generational talent at quarterback. And the continuity on the staff was something that rarely seemed to get enough credit for their success. Between 2012 to 2021, Clemson had three offensive coordinators and one defensive coordinator.
Those days are over. There are no more Deshaun Watsons and Trevor Lawrences growing on trees and running down the hill. Former defensive coordinator Brent Venables is entering year five as the head coach at Oklahoma, and former offensive coordinator Tony Elliot is entering year five as the head coach at Virginia.
Whether it’s just having a familiar face in the building or trying to find some of his old magic, Dabo Swinney went back to the well, and rehired his former OC Chad Morris who was at Clemson from 2011 to 2014. The appreciation in stability won’t be one sided in this reunion. Since leaving in 2014, Morris has held seven different jobs ranging from head coach at two (current) Power Four schools to a high school head coach at Allen High School in Texas.
Morris will pair with Christopher Vizzina, as his starting quarterback as the Tigers exit spring. Vizzina is a former four star, elite 11 recruit that ranked in the top 100 nationally in the 2022 class. He’s only attempted 105 passes in two years at Clemson, but he’s played in 12 games while scoring five touchdowns in limited action.
Clemson has an interesting QB competition following the departure of Cade Klubnik.
Stats from today’s spring game 📊
Christopher Vizzina: 10/18, 109 total yds, TD
Tait Reynolds: 7/10, 74 yds, rush TD
Trent Pearman: 4/7, 34 yds, TD
Chris Denson: minimal playing time pic.twitter.com/TESlYpuZ5D— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) March 28, 2026
Fixing the offense is step number one to a team that is desperately trying to, as the kids say, get their aura back. Clemson’s offense took a dramatic turn for the worse from 2024 to 2025 averaging 7.5 points less per game and falling from 18th to 72nd nationally in scoring offense. They also dropped from 11th to 64th in yards per game.
Can Morris and Vizzina bring the Tigers back? We’ll start to find the answer to that question in week one in the real Death Valley.
More SEC News
