Dabo Swinney Compares New Clemson QB to Baker Mayfield

The Clemson Tigers landed a pair of quarterbacks on early national signing day, bagging Tait Reynolds and Brock Bradley.

While the four-star Reynolds is the more highly-regarded player, Bradley — a three-star recruit — is no slouch in his own right.

In fact, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has already offered a massive NFL comparison for Bradley: Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Baker Mayfield.

“Brock is a winner,” Swinney told reporters. “This kid, he is kind of Baker Mayfield-ish, if you will. He is a winner, and he has always been a winner.”

The six-foot, 185-pound Bradley threw for 2,930 yards and 32 touchdowns last season at Spain Park in Birmingham, Al.

“He has played at a really high level in the state of Alabama,” Swinney added. “He has always been a committed guy to where he was. I just think he is a really talented player.”

With Cade Klubnik departing Clemson this offseason and no clear answer under center, Bradley is expected to compete for the starting job in 2026.

“He is not afraid to compete,” Swinney said. “That is another thing I love about Brock. He is not afraid to compete. Matter of fact, he looks forward to that.”

But would the Tigers really roll out a freshman to start at quarterback next season?

It seems rather likely that Clemson will scour the transfer portal to search for a Klubnik replacement, especially after the Tigers went just 7-5 this season in the midst of national championship expectations

Christopher Vizzina — who was a redshirt sophomore this season — will also be in the running for Clemson's signal-caller position and could be the early favorite right now. Vizzina got a start against SMU this year, going 29-for-42 with 317 yards and three touchdowns.

The chances of Bradley actually winning the starting job seem incredibly slim, but to earn a comparison to Mayfield already speaks volumes about how Swinney views him.

A former No. 1 overall pick, Mayfield — who was considered undersized when he first entered the NFL — has developed into one of the better quarterbacks in football.

If Bradley can show signs of reaching those heights at Clemson, the Tigers will be in terrific shape moving forward.