Garrett Riley lands his Jalen Hurts

Tait Reynolds was compared to former Oklahoma and Alabama standout Jalen Hurts by Tigers offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

David Hood - Senior Writer - Sunday, July 07 2024

Garrett Riley has his Jalen Hurts.

2026 quarterback Tait Reynolds of Queen Creek (AZ) announced his commitment to Clemson earlier Sunday, the first quarterback pledge for the Tigers since June of 2023, when Blake Hebert announced his pledge.

Reynolds camped at Clemson in early June and earned an offer from Riley, the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, and head coach Dabo Swinney. He also spent time on the campuses of Oklahoma, Miami (FL) and Texas A&M.

“It's been pretty busy, but it’s also a lot of fun and a lot of hard work,” Reynolds said. “I feel like I've been getting a lot of better and been having fun.”

What did he learn along the way?

“I just recognized how raw I am. I am just an athlete, but there's so many things I could improve on and get better,” Reynolds said. “I've learned those things, and I've got a quarterback coach now, and I've been working a lot.”

Reynolds is now working with quarterbacks coach Scooter Molander.

“With him, I am learning new footwork and really how to spin the ball, I felt like I was good at, but there's always room for improvement,” Reynolds said. “And there's always things you can get better at, and he's just really helped me with that stuff.”

Reynolds, a two-sport athlete who also plays baseball, says his ability to play different sports is one of the things Clemson likes.

“They love how athletic I am. They love the fact that I can do a lot of things and I have legs,” he said. “I am super-fast, I can run. They love that about me.”

Riley even gave Reynolds a comparison.

“Coach Riley told me this, which I'm kind of pumped up about because this is my guy, this is kind of the guy I look up to,” Reynolds said. “But he said I look like Jalen Hurts a little bit. That pumps me up because I love that guy.”

What led to the timing on his decision?

“I feel like this time was right. I know where I want to go, and I know they gave me the offer and everything, and I just love everything about them,” Reynolds said. “Everything about them (Clemson) is just real, and they are a bunch of winners. They want to work hard, and they get after it, and they have a lot of fun doing it. That's the people I want to be around. That's the people I want to be with.

“I told Coach Riley first, and he was pumped, and he went and did a cannonball in the lake. And Coach Swinney was really excited. He let me talk to everybody in his family. I got to talk to Hunter Renfrow and his kids, and it was awesome to meet all of them and talk to all of them.”

Want to thank Coach Swinney and @CoachGRiley for the offer to play @ClemsonFB @QC_football @TSchureman @Elite11 @QCHS_Athletics @JUSTCHILLY @GunslingerBuzz @KyleMorgan_XOS @CodyTCameron @QCHS_Athletics @azc_obert @ZachAlvira @QBHitList pic.twitter.com/Ly3YrD8hrQ
— Tait Reynolds (@TaitReynoldsQC) June 9, 2024

#ALLIN #Committed @CoachGRiley @TSchureman @CoachHowardQC @ClemsonFB @ClemsonBaseball @QCHS_Athletics @QC_football pic.twitter.com/h6uuh5Inpq
— Tait Reynolds (@TaitReynoldsQC) July 7, 2024