How Clemson’s Christopher Vizzina handled the pressures of his recruitment

By Nick Alvarez, AL.com

Chris Vizzina was nervous. Tucked in the stands at Albert J.H. Sloan Stadium was a college coach from Georgia Tech. Vizzina knew he wasn’t there to scout him, but his presence caused a distraction. A nascent recruitment was starting to take shape and Vizzina found himself on the borderline teetering between a skilled, albeit raw, prospect and a high schooler who only ended up at quarterback after his best friend broke his ankle.

Months later, Vizzina decided who he’d try to become. His dad, Christopher Vizzina Jr., introduced him to a trainer from the Birmingham-based QB Country, then something interesting happened. Vizzina didn’t just love the work. He was good at it, too.

The ensuing two-and-a-half years — which included, but were not limited to, a nationwide tour, a rumored “throw-off” between Vizzina and Arch Manning, which the former won and Vizzina becoming the state’s highest-rated quarterback since Bo Nix was a 5-star in 2019 — demanded Vizzina reconcile his talent with the consequences it wrought.

Vizzina’s team, comprising Ben Neill from QB Country (who Jr. knew from his days as Samford University’s head chef), Lions’ head coach Matthew Forester and athletic director Jay Mathews met to form a consistent plan across offseasons. They wanted to limit the number of practice throws he made, lower his left hand on release and slow his footwork on set drops. The goal was not only to build muscle memory but to make sure “CV,” could execute each route at a 90% clip.

“That’s what we were aiming towards, so when we went to colleges, he blew people’s socks off,” Neill said. “And it did. It worked. I think that conversation with the staff was preventative and also strategic.”

Click here for the full story.