Clemson has needed more than passing production from Tait Reynolds to put together its latest winning stretch. In consecutive road victories, the freshman quarterback delivered timely runs that helped the Tigers leave Florida State and Syracuse with wins.
Those contributions are part of a debut season that has earned Reynolds a place among ESPN’s top freshmen. He sits at No. 25 in the outlet’s updated ranking of 40 players, three spots below his position on October’s shorter, 25-player list.
Reynolds’ latest outing offered another example of his value beyond the passing game. He finished with 161 passing yards and an interception against Syracuse, but added 61 rushing yards and picked up multiple first downs on Clemson’s final possession to close
out the 18-13 victory.
A week earlier, his 79-yard touchdown run gave the Tigers breathing room after Florida State pulled within five points. Clemson went on to win 36-24, a performance ESPN analyst Billy Tucker identified as Reynolds’ best of the season.
Tucker’s evaluation also acknowledged the difficult assignment Reynolds inherited. After Christopher Vizzina suffered an injury against Georgia Southern, Clemson turned to a quarterback still navigating his first college season.
Reynolds helped finish that victory before taking over as the official starter against North Carolina. He has held the job ever since, making seven starts across nine appearances.
His season totals include 1,446 passing yards, three touchdown passes and four interceptions on 64.6 percent completion. Another 310 yards and two touchdowns have come on the ground.
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There is still plenty of room for Clemson’s passing attack to improve, but Reynolds’ recent performances have helped the Tigers reach 6-3 overall and 4-2 in ACC play.
His next opportunity comes Saturday when Clemson hosts Georgia Tech at Memorial Stadium. The game begins at 12:30 p.m. on The CW.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson starting quarterback climbs ESPN’s updated freshman rankings
