Potential Cade Klubnik Replacement Reaffirms Commitment to Clemson Tigers

A top quarterback recruit in the 2026 class reaffirmed his desire to play for the Clemson Tigers with signing day nearly a year away.

Tait Reynolds, Class of 2026 Pro style quarterback from Queen Creek, Arizona passes near Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, left, during the 2024 Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson in Clemson June 5, 2024. / Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

After a very successful campaign in 2024, the Clemson Tigers are now preparing for next season.

It was a very strong season for the Tigers last year. The program was able to bounce back nicely from a lackluster campaign in 2023 with a 10-win season and an ACC Title.

Unfortunately, Clemson had a tough draw in the first round of the College Football Playoff against the Texas Longhorns, as they lost by two touchdowns. With the 2024 season wrapped up for the Tigers, they are now focused on getting these teams back into the CFP in 2025 and beyond.

With recruiting in full swing, the Tigers didn’t quite get the class that they were hoping for in 2025. However, the 2026 class is shaping up to be a solid one, with a few four-star commits already.

One of those players who has committed to Clemson is four-star quarterback Tait Reynolds. In addition to playing football for the Tigers, the talented prospect is also expected to play baseball for the program.

Recently, Reynolds spoke to Jason Priester of the Clemson Insider and reaffirmed his commitment to playing for Clemson.

“I’m dead set on it. I’m coming to play at Clemson,” Reynolds said. “I am super excited to get to work with Coach (Garret) Riley and Coach (Dabo) Swinney. I love football. For sure, I’m coming to play.”

With Cade Klubnik returning to the program as a senior in 2025, the sky is the limit for the Tigers on offense. From his sophomore year to his junior season, there was a ton of improvement for Klubnik under Swinney and Garret Riley.

For quarterback prospects the ability to grow and develop players is going to be an important thing. Clemson now has the recency of being able to do that at the position with Klubnik, which should make recruiting a bit easier.

Also, the Tigers have seemingly been recruiting some high-level wide receivers to the program.

For Reynolds, being a two-sport college athlete is not an easy task, but he is an extremely talented young player. The Arizona prospect was named the best player in the state in his junior year, and he is excited to get to work with Clemson.

The Tigers will be hosting their Elite Retreat on Jan. 25, and Reynolds is expected to come back to South Carolina to attend.

Swinney and company are off to a good start in recruiting for 2026, but there is still plenty of work to be done. After a strong season in 2024, that should help persuade recruits to the program once again.