Clemson football, Dabo Swinney land versatile QB recruit for 2026 class

The Clemson football team has landed its quarterback for 2026.

Three-star rising junior recruit Tait Reynolds of Queen Creek (Ariz.) High School announced his verbal commitment to the Tigers and coach Dabo Swinney via social media on Sunday afternoon. He’s the program’s first commitment for the 2026 class.

Reynolds ranks as the No. 28 quarterback recruit in his class, according to the 247Sports composite, as well as the No. 1 player in Arizona and the No. 354 recruit nationally for 2026. He also plans to play baseball for the Tigers.

“HUGE thanks to my family, friends, teammates and coaches who have supported me as I’ve chased my athletic dreams,” Reynolds said in a post. “Big thanks to all the college coaches who were willing to give me a shot.”

“So blessed for the opportunity to play not just one, but two sports that I love at the next level. Beyond excited to announce my commitment to Clemson.”

Reynolds (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) had previously been committed to Arizona State as a baseball player but backed off that pledge June 25 after he impressed at a number of college football prospect camps, including Clemson’s the second weekend of June.

After watching Reynolds throw on campus, Swinney and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley extended him their first 2026 QB scholarship offer. Shortly afterward, Clemson also offered top 100 quarterback recruit Brady Hart, but he committed to Michigan the following week.

Reynolds also considered Oklahoma, Miami and Texas A&M before choosing Clemson. He’ll sign his national letter of intent with the Tigers in fall 2025 and play his first season there in 2026.

“There was just a different feel there,” Reynolds told SportsTalkSC’s Phil Kornblut. “It was just a really awesome feeling. Coach Riley and Coach Swinney are just awesome. I feel like I fit into their offense perfectly. I fit their vibe and everything about them. They are a bunch of winners, which everybody knows. They win every year. I want to be around those kind of people.”

Reynolds is a dual-threat quarterback who ran for 631 yards and 17 touchdowns in 11 games last year at Queen Creek in the greater Phoenix Area to go along with 1,808 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

He’s viewed as a high-upside player who can continue to grow as a quarterback prospect, considering he didn’t truly pick up the sport of football until two years ago. Reynolds had previously been focused on baseball, where he’s a highly regarded shortstop/outfielder recruit.

Reynolds has previously said that even though football is his main focus now, he’s interested in playing both sports in college. He told TigerNet.com earlier this month that he hasn’t been in contact with Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich and his staff but has been told “that they really want me as well.”

There’s a history of Clemson football players (and quarterbacks specifically) doubling up with baseball in the Swinney area. Will Taylor played two seasons of football as a wide receiver/punt returner before deciding to focus exclusively on baseball, where he’s now a projected high-round 2025 MLB Draft pick.

And Kyle Parker played his way into the school’s athletic hall of fame after playing both sports from 2008-10. Parker threw 20 touchdown passes for Clemson football in 2009 and hit 20 home runs for the baseball team the following spring and remains the only Division I athlete to pull that off within a single academic year.

Reynolds also emphasized that, despite the possibility he could be taken in the 2026 MLB Draft before his freshman year at Clemson and face a stay-or-go decision with serious money on the line, he’s focused on playing college football.

The Tigers have had some recent experiences with that situation, too. Taylor was expected to be a high-round pick in summer 2021 before making it clear to MLB teams he was headed to Clemson no matter what; 2021 quarterback recruit Bubba Chandler, meanwhile, never made it to campus after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and is currently a star pitcher in their farm system.

“I’ve talked to some people,” Reynolds told Kornblut. “My (high school coach Mikel Moreno) played in the big leagues. I just really want to play football, though. It’s always been a dream of mine. I really want to go to Clemson and play football.”

In terms of pure rankings, Clemson’s quarterback recruiting has taken a step back from the Tigers’ recent run of College Football Playoff success. Current starting quarterback Cade Klubnik was a five-star 2022 recruit, and his backup, Christopher Vizzina, was a four-star and top 100 recruit for the 2023 class.

Over their last three cycles, though, the Tigers haven’t been as splashy. After missing on four different highly ranked 2024 QB recruits, Clemson opted to sign zero QB recruits in its most recent class, with Swinney emphasizing the program’s confidence in Klubnik and Vizzina.

And in its 2025 class, which currently ranks No. 12 nationally, Clemson has a commitment from Brunswick School (Conn.) four-star Blake Hebert. Hebert ranks as the No. 23 QB in his class and No. 269 overall recruit.