Rookie QBs rarely beat Bill Belichick, but Clemson's Tait Reynolds will get chance

CHAPEL HILL — UNC football coach Bill Belichick smiled when asked what a defense can do to make a young quarterback look and feel like a freshman.

"Play good," Belichick said with a smirk.

During his 24 seasons with the NFL's New England Patriots , Belichick's defenses built a reputation for frustrating inexperienced QBs. His teams lost to only seven rookie starting signal-callers during his time in Massachusetts.

New York Giants QB Tommy Devito became No. 7 in 2023.

In his debut season at UNC, the Tar Heels had a 1-1 record against freshmen QBs. UNC lost to Cal's Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele before beating Syracuse's Joe Filardi, a walk-on and lacrosse player.

Next up is Clemson freshman Tait Reynolds, who will try to join that list of young QBs to take down Belichick. The Tar Heels (2-0) open ACC play against the Tigers (1-1) on Sept. 19 (Noon ET, ESPN) in Death Valley.

"Tait is a guy we spent some time on last year in the recruiting process," Belichick said.

"Really athletic kid, very, very productive in some of the high school tape that we saw. I'm sure he's gonna be a really good quarterback in the ACC and college football. He's very athletic, hard guy to tackle, has a good arm, can make all the throws."

Reynolds, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound freshman from Arizona, has completed 20 of 33 passes for 200 yards through two games. He also has 19 carries for 29 yards. Last season, Keawe-Sagapolutele completed 21 of 39 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown, with UNC logging two sacks. Filardi was 4 of 18 for 39 yards.

UNC's defense has been stingy through two games this year. The Tar Heels have allowed 13 points, holding TCU and ETSU scoreless during a 105-minute stretch. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging 176.5 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and seven sacks allowed vs. the Tar Heels.

Whether it was Reynolds or senior Christopher Vizzina , who's dealing with an injury, Belichick doesn't expect significant shifts from the Tigers' offense.

"I think, in a way, they're both similar. They both can run the ball and they have quarterback runs incorporated in their offense," Belichick said.

". … Whoever they feel most confident with – I guess Tait in this case – that's what we're gonna have to get ready for. But I don't think the offense is going to change dramatically with either player. I'd say their skills are within a range of similarity."

For Belichick, it goes far beyond the quarterback when trying to slow down Clemson . Throughout his 20-minute press conference, Belichick highlighted the talent of wide receivers TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr..

"It's hard with Clemson. Kind of similar to TCU, they attack across the field on every play," Belichick said.

"The ball could get handed off, the quarterback could keep it, or if he sees an advantage outside, he can just raise up and throw the ball to the perimeter. You have to defend from sideline to sideline. … It's more than just the quarterback."

Ultimately, Belichick said the key remains the same regardless of who lines up behind center.

"It really comes down to team defense," he said. "Everybody doing their jobs."

Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.