Dabo Swinney may already believe he has his quarterback of the future in Tait Reynolds, but the next two weeks are going to tell the real story.
Reynolds looked good in Clemson’s road win over Florida State, yet that was just one game, and it came against a Seminoles team that fired its head coach after the fact. The bigger test is right in front of him now. If he wants to lock down QB1 for next season, what he does against Syracuse and Georgia Tech will carry serious weight.
That matters because Clemson has a real chance to stack two more wins here. The Tigers are a slight favorite on the road at Syracuse, and Georgia Tech is one loss away from missing out on a bowl game. If Reynolds handles those two games well, he should head into Clemson’s toughest stretch with more confidence, starting with Duke on Friday night and then South Carolina at home.
Those final two opponents are no joke. South Carolina is ranked in the top 25 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and Duke has the better record at 6-2.
Neither team is in the national title picture, but both could make life difficult for Clemson late in the regular season. That’s why the Syracuse and Georgia Tech games loom so large: they’re the closest thing Reynolds will get to easy wins.
There’s been some encouraging stuff already. Through Clemson’s first three games out of the bye, Reynolds has done a good job protecting the football.
He has not turned it over in any of those three games, and nobody on the first-team offense has either. That net positive in turnover differential has helped give a true freshman room to settle in.
Reynolds also showed a little swagger at the podium when he suggested Florida State was pumping in crowd noise. Confidence matters at quarterback, and Clemson needs him to keep that edge on the field.
The last thing Swinney wants is a dip in Reynolds’ play before the Duke game. If that happens, Clemson could be staring at another 7-6 season, or worse.
Christopher Vizzina does not appear to be in line to get another shot at the starting job. All signs point to him entering the transfer portal and leaving after four years in the program.
That only raises the stakes for Reynolds. He has to make it clear that he is the guy before the regular season ends.
So the next two games may end up saying more about Reynolds’ future at Clemson than anything else. If he can’t hold his own against Steve Angeli or Alberto Mendoza, then Swinney may have to rethink how he feels about the transfer portal. Reynolds is more talented than Duke’s Walker Eget, but he is not the next LaNorris Sellers in the Palmetto State either.
Clemson would love the wins over Syracuse and Georgia Tech, but Reynolds’ performance is the bigger piece of the puzzle.
In Other News...
Dawn Staleys Clemson Visit Had A Personal Twist Gamecocks Fans Will Notice
Dawn Staley made a rare appearance on the Clemson side of the basketball rivalry this week, showing up at Littlejohn Coliseum to support her godson, Madden Collins, when American visited the Tigers. Staley, the South Carolina womens basketball coach, was there in an American University hoodie while her own team had practiced earlier in the day, a reminder that even in a state rivalry, family ties can pull a coach into an unexpected seat.
Collins gave her plenty to watch, leading American with 23 points in the loss to Clemson. For Gamecocks fans, the sight of Staley at a Clemson game will always carry a little extra intrigue, even if the reason was personal rather than partisan. It was one of those small crossover moments that says as much about Staleys reach as it does about the scene around Clemson basketball. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Ugly Syracuse Win Left Fans With One Big Offense Debate
Clemsons 18-13 win over Syracuse was the kind of game that left little room for celebration and plenty of room for questions. The Tigers did enough to secure bowl eligibility, but for most of the afternoon the offense struggled to turn chances into touchdowns, forcing Clemson to lean on field goals and a defensive score just to stay ahead in a game that never felt comfortable.
Tait Reynolds and the offense will take the heat for the missed opportunities, especially with the Tigers finally finding the end zone only in the closing minutes. Clemsons defense did its part against Steve Angeli and Syracuse, but the bigger conversation now is whether this kind of uneven performance is just an ugly one-off or a warning sign about how much the offense can be trusted when the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Survived A Brutal Injury Week With Bigger Questions Ahead
Clemson walked into its game against Syracuse after a rough week on the practice field, with Dabo Swinney confirming several injuries that forced the staff to juggle depth across both lines and the skill positions. Freshman offensive tackle Braden Wilmes tore his ACL and is done for the season, while offensive lineman Harris Sewell continues to work back from a TightRope procedure and could be in line to return in the coming games.
The injury list did not stop there. Quarterback Christopher Vizzina rolled his ankle and was limited in practice, though he was still available for the game, and receivers Gordon Sellars III and Tyler Brown also were dealing with issues during the week. For a Clemson team trying to keep its footing, the immediate concern is obvious, but the larger question is how much more wear and tear the Tigers can absorb before it starts to shape what they can do on offense. [Read more 🡒]