Tait Reynolds feeling ‘no pressure at all’ ahead of showdown with No. 4 Miami

The stage is about to get considerably bigger for Tait Reynolds.

Clemson's freshman quarterback has already made his first start, his first road start, and the inevitable mistakes that come with being a young quarterback. Saturday night brings something different: No. 4 Miami, a national television audience and a prime-time matchup in Death Valley between the ACC's only two teams that have opened conference play 2-0.

Pressure?

Reynolds says he isn't feeling it.

“No, I don't feel any pressure at all,” Reynolds said. “I think I'm not putting any pressure on myself.”

That's easier said than done considering what awaits Reynolds and the Tigers.

Clemson (3-1, 2-0 ACC) hosts unbeaten Miami (4-0, 2-0) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. The Tigers are seeking their first ranked win of the season and just the fifth home victory over an AP Top 5 opponent in program history.

For Reynolds, however, the challenge is keeping Saturday from becoming bigger in his mind than it needs to be.

“You just stay focused in the process,” Reynolds said. “Whatever happens, the good, the bad, at the end of the day, I'm just a disciple of Jesus Christ, and I just try to be that all the time. My identity's not in football.”

That perspective could be particularly important for a quarterback whose college career is still in its infancy.

Reynolds became just the ninth true freshman to start at quarterback for Clemson since permanent freshman eligibility began in 1972 when he got the nod against North Carolina. He helped Clemson rally for a 28-20 victory that afternoon and followed it by leading the Tigers to a 24-10 road win at Cal.

Reynolds joined Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence as the only Clemson true freshman starting quarterbacks to win their first two career starts during that span.

The Cal performance wasn't perfect.

Reynolds threw an interception on Clemson's opening possession and later lost a fumble. Looking back, he called the latter a “dumb mistake” and acknowledged making errors with some of his reads.

But his response to those moments might offer a glimpse into how he plans to handle the environment Saturday night.

“I think sometimes bad things happen. They're going to happen, and it just gives you a great opportunity to grow and learn and get better, like I've been saying,” Reynolds said. “So kind of just trust your work, trust your preparation. Like Coach [Chad] Morris says, that's where the confidence comes from.”

That preparation has become a recurring theme for Reynolds.

When asked where he gets the confidence to continue taking shots despite previous mistakes, Reynolds again pointed toward his offensive coordinator's message.

“I think just my preparation,” Reynolds said. “I think Coach Morris talks about it all the time, and the confidence comes from our preparation. And you just do it over and over.

“I think my confidence isn't going to waver on what happened before. I'm just going to stay focused on what's next.”

There is also an understanding that Reynolds is still learning how to manage his emotions.

Dabo Swinney has talked with his young quarterback about being too amped up early in games. Reynolds doesn't dispute it. Instead, he sees controlling those emotions as another part of his development.

“It just comes with time,” Reynolds said. “I think just trusting my preparation more and just not making it bigger than it is, which I can improve on, and just kind of calming down and just kind of trusting the guys around me and just working within the system.”

Saturday will test that approach, and now Reynolds gets his biggest stage yet.

He insists he doesn't need to be Superman. He doesn't need to carry the weight of the matchup himself. For Clemson's freshman quarterback, the formula remains the same one he has leaned on through his first two starts.

“I'm not really worried about anything,” Reynolds said. “Just trust the guys around me, trust them to do their job, and try to do mine.”