Clemson QB commit Tait Reynolds values Cade Klubnik's mentorship at Elite 11 finals

Clemson QB commit Tait Reynolds earned his way into the Elite 11 Finals and got to learn from current Tigers QB Cade Klubnik there.

Grayson Mann · Staff Writer · Saturday, June 21 2025

In Los Angeles, the present and future at quarterback came together.

Tait Reynolds, Clemson's 2026 four-star pledge, was selected for the Elite 11 finals in Los Angeles, bringing together the best quarterbacks in the country to compete for three days.

In addition to the presence on site are Elite 11 alums, who return as counselors for the event to provide guidance and work out alongside the prospects. For Cade Klubnik, this wasn't his first time back, but this appearance at the event carried a much heavier significance.

The future for the Tigers under center was there with him, and the current senior and Heisman candidate ensured his time there would be as much help to Reynolds as possible.

For the two quarterbacks, their journeys have some similarities. While Reynolds' national perception has skyrocketed as of late, the current Clemson signal caller can relate to seeing the eyes around you shift positively.

Now, the two will forever be linked together in a lineage of Clemson quarterbacks, and the future Tiger got an in-depth view at how one of the best in the country operates on a daily basis.

Klubnik made sure to relay to the quarterbacks in attendance that he wasn't always a frontrunner for the Heisman trophy, and that his journey to this point came with plenty of hard work.

If the Queens Creek product came away with anything, it's that Klubnik's continued hard work was a serious highlight of the entire event.

"It's really cool that he just, he's always going to work and he doesn't really care about what people think or say about him, which is a super important thing to have about you," Reynolds told TigerNet. "And he goes to work every day, and he just tries to be the best version of himself. We had a meeting and he talked about that. A lot of things he went through in his trials and things that were personal to him, and it was really cool to learn from him."

Beyond Klubnik's operation, which left even scouts in attendance bewildered at the work ethic of the senior quarterback, the personal interaction between him and Reynolds stood out.

The two had time to chat together, with words of encouragement being thrown Reynolds' way as the event progressed. He made sure to throw some back Klubnik's way, telling him he'd be there to support him at his pro day next spring.

"He's super supportive and super awesome," Reynolds said. "I mean, everybody kind of knows that, but you ask him a question and he'll go above and beyond to make it so you understand it, and so it helps you out. So he cares about the people around him, and I'm super appreciative of that. And we were kind of talking after the day, and stuff. He told me I did a good job and everything, and how proud he was of me, and I was like, 'Hey, man, next year when I get to school, I'll be sitting there watching you do your pro day.' And he was laughing about that, so it's really cool."

Where Reynolds has found a brotherhood within the circuit of quarterbacks at the Elite 11, soon he will join a lineage of signal callers at Clemson that will rally behind him as he becomes the face of the program.

Klubnik's example, both on and off the field, has paved the way for what will eventually come next, and Reynolds received a further look at that as he impressed scouts in Los Angeles.