Tait Reynolds from Arizona offers immense upside.
Clemson has recruited their next quarterback prospect, Tait Reynolds from Queen Creek, Arizona. With only a year and a half of football experience, he is considered inexperienced, but is expected to have significant potential as a two-sport athlete. Reynolds has garnered a notable 9/10 rating as an outfielder from PerfectGame in baseball. While he is a 3-star prospect in football, several prominent programs, including Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Miami, expressed strong interest alongside Clemson, and offers were also extended from Florida State, Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington.
However, despite his potential, it should be noted that Reynolds is still relatively inexperienced. His performance in his sophomore season does not particularly stand out, with concerns regarding his completion percentage and ratio of touchdowns to interceptions. Although his highlights showcase his capabilities, there is hope that he will become more consistent as he gains maturity and experience.
Tait Reynolds
| Year | Games | Pass attempts | Completion% | Yards/G | Pass TD | INT | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sophomore | 11 | 264 | 54.20% | 164.4 | 11 | 11 | 631 | 17
|
In an interview with David Hood, Coach Riley drew comparisons between him and Jalen Hurts. After reviewing his footage, I initially associated him with Kelly Bryant, but upon further observation, Jalen Milroe may be a more fitting comparison. Last season, Milroe recorded just 10 fewer passing yards on 103 fewer attempts than Cade Klubnik. Additionally, he achieved 531 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Other comparisons mentioned by others involve likening him to Dak Prescott from Mississippi State and Eric Dungey from Syracuse.
https://twitter.com/dustinb429/status/1810097866993443149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1810097866993443149%7Ctwgr%5Ef8f44929bb09a0c6712f6f0edbdb3564d4312d31%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shakinthesouthland.com%2F2024%2F7%2F8%2F24175645%2Fclemson-lands-2026-quarterback
During his senior year at Mississippi State, Prescott passed for 3,793 yards with a 23-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ran for 588 yards with 10 additional touchdowns. This performance could reflect the highest potential level of achievement. Comparatively, Eric Dungey seems like a slightly more moderated comparison from my perspective. In his senior year in 2018, he threw for 2,868 yards with 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, while also rushing for 754 yards and 15 touchdowns. This could be the most accurate comparison I’ve come across.
https://twitter.com/TigerNE_CU/status/1810098287505998150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1810098287505998150%7Ctwgr%5Ef8f44929bb09a0c6712f6f0edbdb3564d4312d31%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shakinthesouthland.com%2F2024%2F7%2F8%2F24175645%2Fclemson-lands-2026-quarterback
Another noteworthy comparison that cannot be overlooked is TCU’s Max Duggan. In his senior year, he showcased an impressive 32-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, a 63% completion rate, and amassed 3,698 passing yards. Matching these robust passing statistics may prove challenging, but the utilization of Duggan by TCU, especially in collaboration with Garrett Riley, might resemble what we can anticipate with Reynolds in the future. Throughout his four-year tenure at TCU, Duggan consistently achieved rushing yardage ranging from 352 to 555 yards per year. His ground game prowess always posed a significant threat and was integral to the Horned Frogs’ offensive strategy.
Looking ahead, let’s delve into what the quarterback pipeline at Clemson looks like:
Klubnik is set to be the starting quarterback in 2024 and probably in 2025 as well. Following that, there is expected to be a captivating competition involving Chris Vizzina, Trent Pearman, and Blake Hebert. Vizzina, who was highly regarded, opted for a redshirt and appears to be facing a challenge from Pearman. Despite initially being a walk-on, Pearman demonstrated outstanding performance in the Spring game and is vying for the backup QB position this season. Meanwhile, Blake Hebert is currently in high school, but is anticipated to join the team in 2025, serve as a reserve for a season, and subsequently contend for the starting position.
Tait Reynolds is slated to arrive after that. It is probable that there may be some attrition by then, but if not, he might end up taking a redshirt. While there is a wealth of talent in this succession, there are certainly many uncertainties. None of them are as much of a “sure-thing” as Trevor Lawrence was (or as we thought DJ Uiagalelei was), but Reynolds embodies the exceptional potential necessary for securing National Championships, which is truly something to look forward to.
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