CLEMSON — Tait Reynolds isn’t your typical freshman quarterback.
Reynolds is already 19 and will turn 20 in March, making him a little older than many freshmen. He also grew up in a family full of athletes, including a father who played professional baseball and football. Add in that Reynolds is a baseball guy himself, and he brings a unique perspective to playing the position.
That is only part of the reason why the first-year player isn’t putting any pressure on himself heading into his fourth career start against No. 4 Miami.
“No, I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Reynolds added. “I am not putting any pressure on myself. I am not really worried about anything. Just trusting the guys around me, trusting them to do their job and try to do mine.”
What Reynolds is focused on is growth, and that is something that comes with more experience. One area in which Dabo Swinney has cited specifically is his true freshman beginning games a little too amped up.
“It just comes with time,” Reynolds added. “Just trusting my preparation more and not making it bigger than it is, which I can improve on. Just kind of calming down, trusting the guys around me, and just kind of work within the system. He has talked to me a lot about that.”
Now, Reynolds is set for the biggest challenge of his young career. While the freshman logged a handful of snaps in the season-opening loss to LSU, he did not start. By the time he saw the field, the Tigers were already down 28-3.
It wasn’t until the following week against Georgia Southern that Reynolds took over as the full-time quarterback. However, he did not make his first start until the Week 3 win over North Carolina.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup against Miami, the freshman signal caller has completed 54 of his 84 passes (64.3%) for 521 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions, while rushing for 83 yards on 41 carries.
“They are a great team,” Reynolds said. “It is going to be a really good matchup. I am excited to get after them.”
Photo courtesy of Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider