Tait Reynolds once stepped onto a high school football field thinking of himself primarily as a baseball player. A few years later, he is leading Clemson’s offense and coming off a performance that showed how much he is growing into the job.
The route between those moments has required Reynolds to adjust quickly. His latest challenge has been learning to run a college offense while facing the weekly demands of being a true freshman starter.
Against Florida State, that development produced encouraging results. Reynolds threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns, adding 89 rushing yards and another score in Clemson’s 36-24 victory. His late 79-yard touchdown run secured the win and established a program record for the longest run by a quarterback.
“I
just have some games under my belt,” Reynolds said. “There’s just that constant growth. You get a little more experience. The more experience, you get better and better. I think that is the biggest thing. You get a little more confident, comfortable.”
Reynolds wasn’t assured that experience entering the season. Fourth-year quarterback Christopher Vizzina was expected to take over, but Reynolds moved into the starting role after two games.
An unexpected opening also shaped his career at Queen Creek in Arizona. Reynolds began his first high school game at cornerback, covering Ja’Kobi Lane despite knowing little about the receiver and being more focused on baseball.
At halftime, his coaches put him at quarterback. Less than two years later, he committed to Clemson.
Now five starts into his college career, Reynolds has another opportunity to build momentum when the Tigers visit Syracuse. Offensive coordinator Chad Morris has emphasized that the difficult moments are part of that process.
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“Coach Morris talks about it all the time. You can’t skip these steps, and you have to go through these hard times, and you have to go through these trials. I think the more I play, the better I am going to get.”
For Clemson, turning that experience into consistent production will be the next step, starting with Saturday’s trip to Syracuse.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson freshman quarterback talks learning on the fly with game time
