Oct. 23—CLEMSON — In crucial moments, teams rely on their best players to step up and secure victory.
Clemson football is about to face a series of crucial moments. The Tigers are 4-2 (2-1 ACC) in 2026, with losses to their only ranked opponents this season. Despite the up-and-down start headlined by a struggling offense ranked 109th in yards per game and 107th in points per game, Clemson will be judged by how it finishes against five ACC opponents and its annual rivalry with South Carolina.
Technically, everything the Tigers could possibly achieve is still out in front of them. But it will take a step forward from an offensive unit that has struggled, particularly in the passing game with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds under center.
While Clemson does want more from the air offense Reynolds leads, it does not want to overstrain the rookie QB in an effort to do so, according to Tigers offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Instead, Clemson hopes to rely on the playmakers around him.
"I can't put too much on him. That's the worst thing I can do, is compound things with him," Morris said. "I got to get him in his right reads, but how do you do that? Everybody around (Reynolds) got to be better."
Reynolds took the reins of Clemson's offense late after initially losing out on the job to senior Christopher Vizzina. He got his first start on Sept. 19 against North Carolina after Vizzina fractured his elbow Sept. 12 against Georgia Southern, although coach Dabo Swinney said the change only had to do with on-field play.
Despite Reynolds having only one touchdown pass in four starts and leading the nation's 111th ranked passing offense, Swinney believes Reynolds has shown growth in his first season as a starter, and added that Clemson's latest game, a 37-0 win against Charleston Southern, was Reynolds' best.
The freshman QB passed for just 127 yards in the game, but he did go without a turnover for the first time as a starter. Swinney said drops and receivers not finishing plays, plus Clemson's choice to play backups against the Buccaneers, were more responsible for the lack of passing production than his QB's play.
"The game's slowing down for him," he said. "He's been in the fire a little bit. I think he's growing."
Just because Clemson doesn't want to overload Reynolds doesn't mean they aren't expecting him to produce. Morris said he'd like to get Reynolds more involved in the run game, but his ball security needs to improve — Reynolds has fumbled in each of his starts, but Clemson recovered the most recent instance. Swinney said winning the turnover margin, which the Tigers have yet to do this season, is the one thing Clemson must improve in the closing stretch of 2026.
"I need to do a better job with that. I keep telling everybody, 'I've never fumbled in my life.' I get out here and it's happened a couple times," Reynolds said. "It's just something to improve on and I'll fix it for sure. It's an easy fix."
Assigning more responsibility to others doesn't mean Reynolds isn't being held accountable, either. Morris said he stopped the offense in the middle of Clemson's Oct. 20 practice to deliver Reynolds a message about his pocket presence.
"The great quarterbacks that you see, when the pocket collapses, they don't look at the ground," Morris said. "They're constantly looking with their eyes down the field and seeing if they can create some explosives down the field."
Morris added that there's been flashes of it all clicking for Reynolds at once, but not enough.
While Morris and Clemson are trying to avoid adding any pressure to Reynolds' plate, it seems like the additional responsibility is only natural. Clemson will need to go through the air against a Virginia Tech defense that ranks No. 10 in the nation for least average rushing yards allowed.
It may be the "worst thing" for him, but things will likely compound for Reynolds at least a little as Clemson tries to finish 2026 strong, no matter how much Morris tries to protect him from it.
Next up
Next up
What: Clemson (4-2, 2-1 ACC) vs. Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-2 ACC)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
TV: ESPN
Reach Jackson Castellano at jcastellano@postandcourier.com. Follow him on X @jaxacastellano.