Tait Reynolds is set to make his first career start at quarterback for Clemson on Saturday when the Tigers host North Carolina in what will mark the ACC opener for both squads.
After logging 15 snaps in the blowout loss to LSU to start the season, the freshman signal caller saw his most extensive action last week against Georgia Southern. Reynolds entered on the fourth offensive series and went the rest of the way, completing 16-of-27 for 178 yards, while also adding another 38 yards in the run game.
However, this week will be a little different. After taking the job from Christopher Vizzina, Reynolds has been taking the first-team reps in practice this week in preparation for his first collegiate start.
“It is good, it is exciting, but at the end of the day, it is not about me,” Reynolds said. “It’s just that we are trying to win games. It is about the team. We are just trying to do what we can to be 1-0 every week.”
Head coach Dabo Swinney was fairly critical of Reynolds’ play after the 22-7 win over Georgia Southern, citing some freshman mistakes as some of the reasons why the offense struggled to move the ball.
The Tigers finished just 2-of-14 on third downs in the win over the Eagles, a number that must improve this week against the Tar Heels.
“Yeah, I made some mistakes, but those happen,” Reynolds added. “So, I am going to go out there and try and get better every single day, and out at practice. Like I said, I am going to try and do my best, do the things I can, and improve on those mistakes to be better.”
While Reynolds readily admits he made some mistakes, there was also a lot to like about the rookie signal caller. On top of Reynolds bringing something extra to the running game via his true dual-threat ability, the freshman also brings an added juice to the offense that just seemed to be lacking with Vizzina taking the snaps.
With offensive coordinator Chad Morris noting on Wednesday that he was “taken aback” by the lack of energy during the first home game of the season, that extra juice could come in handy on Saturday, in what feels like a must-win game for Clemson.
“Just bringing energy every single day,” Reynolds said. “We take pride in that. Just bringing energy to practice and getting after it. Really just trying to be our best every single day.”
