Christopher Vizzina is Clemson's starting quarterback for the opener against LSU, but the competition isn't over yet, coach Dabo Swinney said. Does that mean freshman Tait Reynolds will play when No. 23 Clemson plays at No. 13 LSU on Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)? Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said if Reynolds does play in the opener, he's confident the freshman will be ready. "If he gets his opportunity, we'll see how it works out," Morris said Sept. 2. "He's been a guy that's had a really good camp and got an incredible arm... He's going to be prepared for whenever his opportunity comes."
Swinney said Sept. 1 Reynolds could get some playing time against LSU. "He ain't going away. I think he's going to continue to compete," Swinney said. "I'm not going to guarantee that he's going to play, but I would say it's probably likely, because we have to continue the competition and go from there." Morris commended Reynolds for "pushing" Vizzina during fall practice. He said Reynolds made it a "battle all the way to the bitter end," but Vizzina's day-to-day consistency made him the winner for now. Clemson OC Chad Morris will coach from the sidelines Something every new offensive coordinator will be asked is whether he'll coach from the sidelines or the booth. Morris wasn't spared the question. He said he'll coach from the sidelines this season. Morris pondered going to the booth, but says the sidelines won out the more he thought about it. Morris also was Clemson's offensive coordinator under Swinney from 2011-14. Morris has coached from the booth before, but believes the sidelines are better for him this season because players can see him directly and get a better sense of how he feels. REQUIRED READING: Why Dabo Swinney won't judge Lane Kiffin ahead of Clemson's opener vs. LSU "We talked about maybe me going to the box, but they've got to sense my urgency," Morris said. "I want them to see me." Morris said offensive analyst Mike Miller, offensive player development/assistant tight ends coach Brad Glenn and offensive analyst and assistant offensive line coach Carson Cramer will be among the coaches talking to him from the booth. How Clemson offense prepared defense for Lane Kiffin, LSU Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown said one thing that stands out about an offense led by new LSU coach Lane Kiffin is how quickly it plays. Brown said it shouldn't be an issue because practicing against Morris' up-tempo scheme should help Clemson's defense. "It's fast, very fast," Brown said of Kiffin's LSU offense. "But we've worked out a lot in practice, and credit to our offense because you know that they do that too. It's been great this offseason to be able to go against that and get used to it." How much tempo Morris runs against LSU remains to be seen. Morris said his offense will focus on tempo but wouldn't go into detail on how much. "You'll have to watch a few days here at 7:30," Morris said. "I can't allude everything there. But yes, we'll play with tempo." Nick Coppola covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA Today Network. Email him at ncoppola@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @Nick_Coppola__ and like his Facebook page at Nick Coppola, Clemson Sports. This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Will Clemson freshman QB Tait Reynolds play vs LSU? Dabo Swinney, Chad Morris weigh in