Clemson Signee to Delay Baseball, Focus on Football in Year One

Clemson’s newest two-sport signee is already making his first big decision, and it could shape his future in both sports.

Clemson’s latest two-sport signee will start his Tigers career on the gridiron before eventually making his way to the baseball diamond. | Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

This past Wednesday, the Clemson Tigers secured 20 recruits from the most recent recruiting class, signing their letters of intent on Day 1 of the Early Signing Period.

One of the longest-tenured commits, three-star Tait Reynolds, was a part of that group — a rare elite two-sport athlete electing to play both football and baseball for the Tigers. However, he might touch one field sooner than the other.

Head coach Dabo Swinney told the media on Wednesday that Reynolds won't suit up for Clemson Baseball this spring as he "wants to compete" with others for the football team's 2026 starting quarterback job. The baseball staff still expects him to join in the future, but year one will be about building his football foundation so he can compete early in his career.

To understand how he ended up in this position, it helps to look back at his winding recruitment as Reynolds' story took a few turns before he ever put pen to paper. 

He initially committed to Arizona State as a baseball prospect, drawn in by the Sun Devils' early recruitment, which was his second-ever offer, as well as the close-to-home atmosphere. However, after receiving an offer from the Tigers in June of 2024, Reynolds backed off his commitment to ASU and reopened the door to play football at the next level, a decision that reshaped where he'd spend the next few years.

Once Clemson and Swinney entered the picture, the conversation changed. His physical tools and long-term upside made football a natural fit, but Clemson's baseball staff wanted him in orange just as much. Considering this, both sports' staff pitched him a legitimate two-sport plan, similar to what we've seen in the past with Will Taylor and Kyle Parker. 

With both staffs aligned and Reynolds eager to chase both paths, Clemson became the clear landing spot, committing to the program in July of 2024.

But the 6-foot-2 athlete didn't just earn attention for being versatile; he delivered results. 

As a signal caller on the gridiron, Reynolds put together a strong year as a junior, leading Queen Creek to the 6A Semifinals, throwing for over 2,000 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he added 1,426 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Unfortunately, his senior season was cut short due to a hamstring injury.

As a junior on the baseball diamond, Reynolds smacked 31 hits for 35 runs, 25 RBIs and eight homers while batting a .373 through 30 games. Defensively, Reynolds was elite as well, recording 63 putouts in 65 total chances at outfielder and shortstop.