Tag: Billy Wiles

Former Clemson QB transfers to Appalachian State; showdown with Tigers looming?

Clemson Football: The Tigers may be facing a former quarterback who donned Clemson Orange when they host Appalachian State on Sept. 7 this season.

Is a showdown between the Tigers and a former Clemson quarterback looming?

Billy Wiles, who spent two seasons in Dabo Swinney’s program after joining Clemson as a walk-on out of Stone Bridge (Va.) High School in 2021, transferred to Southern Miss after the 2022 season.

Wiles was the starting quarterback through the Golden Eagles’ first 10 games a season ago. After a seven-game losing streak that saw Wiles become part of a quarterback controversy, Wiles did not start either of USM’s final two games against Mississippi State and Troy.

He finished the season 162-of-301 with 11 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Southern Miss finished 3-9.

Now, Wiles is on the move again. After entering the transfer portal on April 12, Wiles took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday to announce that he would be staying in the Sun Belt Conference and joining Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers travel to Death Valley in Week 2 (September 7) to face Clemson. Wiles last took the field at Memorial Stadium in 2021 when he made 11 snaps under center against UConn — his only appearance in a Clemson uniform.

Klubnik: There’s ‘love’ among Clemson’s QBs

Cade Klubnik didn’t have to do much with his most recent game reps other than hold onto the ball. Clemson’s latest blue-chip quarterback signee found himself getting his most critical playing time of his freshman season last week when he entered the …

Cade Klubnik didn’t have to do much with his most recent game reps other than hold onto the ball.

Clemson’s latest blue-chip quarterback signee found himself getting his most critical playing time of his freshman season last week when he entered the Syracuse game in the second half with the Tigers trailing 21-10. His number was called because of three turnovers committed by D.J. Uiagalelei, who was benched after his overthrow of tight end Davis Allen turned into his second interception midway through the third quarter.

Klubnik is the faster of the two quarterbacks. But on a day when Clemson ran for a season-high 293 yards, Klubnik ran it (six times for 15 yards) more than he threw it primarily because that’s what was working. Most importantly, he didn’t fumble. And none of his four passes ended up the hands of any Orange defenders as Clemson held onto the ball long enough to rally for a 27-21 win that kept their perfect record intact.

“Just excited to get my moment,” Klubnik said.

Klubnik wasn’t perfect. During his first series, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder took a sack that could’ve been avoided had he stepped up into the pocket instead of trying to escape it, a learning moment for the youngster. But he also flashed his talent on a two-point play after Clemson’s go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, avoiding pressure long enough to find Joseph Ngata tight-roping the back of the end zone for the conversion.

Despite entering the game at an adverse moment, Klubnik said he was confident for a couple of reasons. Some of it came naturally after already playing in four games and trying as much as possible to mimic those kinds of reps all season in practice.

“Coach Swinney has been saying that confidence comes from preparation,” Klubnik said. “We prepare every week like every single one of us is going to start the game.”

Klubnik said some of that confidence given to him by the other four quarterbacks in his position room. Uiagalelei and Klubnik are joined there by transfer Hunter Johnson and former walk-ons Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles.

They all compete with each other, but they’re also each other’s biggest fans. That was no more apparent than when Uiagalelei pulled Klubnik aside before entering Saturday’s game, offering some words of advice and tapping him on the helmet for good measure.

“D.J.’s going to lead us,” Klubnik said. “We’re right behind him. So that whole QB room, it’s all so tight. Just the love that we have in there. There’s not really one guy that stands out. Obviously D.J. obviously is the guy, but we’re all just so tight and all have so much trust. When I finally got in there, I was kind of ready.”

Why Clemson has ‘never had a quarterback room like this’ under Swinney

Dabo Swinney has had his fair share of high-profile quarterbacks at Clemson. Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Tajh Boyd are among the headliners. Kyle Parker, Chad Kelly (even if it didn’t work out at Clemson), Kelly Bryant and D.J. Uiagalelei …

Dabo Swinney has had his fair share of high-profile quarterbacks at Clemson.

Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Tajh Boyd are among the headliners. Kyle Parker, Chad Kelly (even if it didn’t work out at Clemson), Kelly Bryant and D.J. Uiagalelei are some other notable names that have been inside the Tigers’ quarterback room during Swinney’s 14-year tenure as the head coach.

But the collection of talent inside that room heading into the 2022 season, Swinney said, is a notch above the rest.

“We’ve never had a quarterback room like this,” Swinney said.

Start with Uiagalelei, who’s entering his second season as the starter looking for a bounceback year after struggling along with much of the rest of Clemson’s offense a season ago. Not only does the 6-foot-4, big-armed junior have all the ideal physical tools for the position, but Uiagalelei, a former blue-chip prospect, has transformed his body after dropping roughly 30 pounds this offseason.

Behind him is true freshman Cade Klubnik, Swinney’s latest five-star signee at the position who’s waiting in the wings if Uiagalelei’s inconsistencies continue. More of a true dual threat than Uiagalelei, Klubnik impressed this spring and is up to 195 pounds after arriving on campus earlier this year at 179, Swinney said.

“I’m excited about that room, but particularly those two guys, they’ve done everything they need to do to come in as the best version of them,” Swinney said.

Clemson also has a familiar face as the third option entering camp. A former five-star recruit himself, Hunter Johnson is back to finish out his eligibility with the Tigers after spending the last three seasons at Northwestern. It’s been a tough-luck career filled with injuries for Johnson, originally a member of Clemson’s 2017 signing class, but Swinney raved about having the kind of leadership and experience from a sixth-year player that’s rare for many teams to find further down the depth chart.

“I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve had from my players about Hunter Johnson, the type of leader he is and his skill,” Swinney said. “People forget this dude is a heck of a player. He’s had a lot of ups and downs, but he’s a sixth-year veteran who’s been through a lot. What he brings to that room, especially for D.J. and Cade, you don’t have that in many quarterbacks rooms with that level of talent and readiness available.”

As for the rest of the position room, Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles are former walk-ons that Swinney thinks highly enough of that both are now on scholarship. And true freshman Trent Pearman, a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina who threw for more than 6,500 yards and 80 touchdowns at nearby Daniel High, passed on multiple scholarship offers to walk on at Clemson.

“We’ve just got a really good group of functional quarterbacks that we really haven’t had like that,” Swinney said.

Streeter has simple expectation for Uiagalelei, other Clemson QBs

Clemson’s quarterbacks are familiar with Brandon Streeter in more ways than one. Streeter had already been on the Tigers’ coaching staff for seven seasons before Dabo Swinney promoted him last month to be the offensive coordinator when Tony Elliott …

Clemson’s quarterbacks are familiar with Brandon Streeter in more ways than one.

Streeter had already been on the Tigers’ coaching staff for seven seasons before Dabo Swinney promoted him last month to be the offensive coordinator when Tony Elliott left to take the head coaching job at Virginia. Streeter has been a recruiting coordinator and passing game coordinator during that time, but his primary job before now has been coaching the Tigers’ signal callers.

As their position coach, a role he’ll continue with in addition to his play-calling duties, nobody works more closely with Clemson’s quarterbacks on a daily basis than Streeter, a quarterback himself during his playing days at Clemson in the late 1990s.

The 2021 season was a rough one for the position, particularly D.J. Uiagalelei, who posted the second-lowest completion percentage among starting ACC quarterbacks and tossed more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9) in his first season as Trevor Lawrence’s successor. It’s something to monitor as Clemson gets ready for its first on-field preparation for next season this spring.

But Streeter said his expectation is simple for whoever ultimately ends up taking the snaps for the Tigers come the fall.

“It’s really not just to D.J. but to all of them: Just continue to improve,” Streeter said.

In Streeter’s opinion, Uiagalelei did that in the latter part of the season while also fighting through knee and hand injuries. The strong-armed sophomore led a pair of game-winning drives in the fourth quarter against Florida State and Louisville and had one of his better performances in the Tigers’ home finale against Wake Forest, going 11 of 19 passing for 208 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Clemson’s Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State provided mixed results for Uiagalelei, who completed 65% of his passes (21 of 32) but didn’t push the ball down the field much (187 yards passing). He was also intercepted once and didn’t throw a touchdown pass.

Uiagalelei’s primary backup, Taisun Phommachanh, has transferred out of the program, but he was more of a running threat than passing. This spring, however, will bring some real competition to the quarterback position with five-star signee Cade Klubnik enrolling early. Clemson has also added more experienced depth with the recent signing of Northwestern transfer Hunter Johnson, who’s back for his second stint with the Tigers.

“We’re going to have a heck of a team coming back, and we’ve got some great guys that we just signed,” Streeter said. “Really excited about those guys coming into the mix.

Former walk-ons Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles round out the quarterback room for next season.

“That’s what spring ball is for,” Streeter said. “Let’s put the pieces of the puzzle out on the table now and, and let’s put it together one practice at a time. Competition is always good. At every position, there’s always going to be competition. It makes them all better.”

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Might Clemson explore the transfer portal for another QB?

Brandon Streeter stated the obvious regarding the group he’s now in charge of running. “This is D.J.’s offense right now,” Clemson’s new offensive coordinator said Saturday, referencing quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. But what about when it’s not? …

Brandon Streeter stated the obvious regarding the group he’s now in charge of running.

“This is D.J.’s offense right now,” Clemson’s new offensive coordinator said Saturday, referencing quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.

But what about when it’s not?

Uiagalelei has started every game for the Tigers during a season that will conclude Dec. 29 in Orlando with a Cheez-It Bowl matchup against Iowa State. But Clemson’s sophomore signal caller has had to fight through some erratic play as well as a sprained right knee to do so.

With Taisun Phommachanh’s decision to enter the transfer portal earlier this month, Clemson’s options behind Uiagalelei at the position are even less experienced than before. Sophomore Hunter Helms and freshman Billy Wiles — two walk-ons whom Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said will soon be put on scholarship — have combined to play just 59 snaps at Clemson. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ only other scholarship quarterback for next season, Westlake (Texas) High standout Cade Klubnik, won’t officially join the team until next month.

What’s left at quarterback for the time being means there’s a real chance Klubnik, a five-star signee, goes into the 2022 season as Uiagalelei’s backup with no game reps at the collegiate level. Clemson could scour the transfer portal for a more experienced insurance policy at the position — something the Tigers have already started doing at other positions — but will they with already four quarterbacks on scholarship for next season?

“That’s a good question,” said Streeter, who recently had offensive coordinator added to his title in addition to quarterbacks coach following Tony Elliott’s departure for Virginia. “I think right now it’s a situation where we’re going to evaluate every semester what we really, really need and how we would approach that. Right now, we’re not interested in doing that at my position. I think the guys that we have here, that’s what we’re here for is to get them better and better. I know the numbers might not match every year, but in today’s age, to have five guys on scholarship, it’s like good luck trying to figure that out.

“We do feel really, really good about where we’re at with our situation, especially with the two young kids, Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles, coming on, too. Obviously (the topic of adding a transfer quarterback) comes up, but it hasn’t been a long discussion. I love that about our program. It’s a program that is loyal to the players, and we talk about earning the right to play and get your reps and earning the right to win. So as long as we can hold that, we’re going to try to. And it’s going to be hard sometimes, but right now, we’re not looking into that portal for my position.”

As for Klubnik, he’ll join the quarterback competition in the spring as a mid-year enrollee. The 6-foot-3, 186-pounder is ranked as the nation’s top quarterback recruit and No. 18 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite.

Asked if he realistically expects Klubnik to push Uiagalelei for the starting job as a true freshman, Streeter didn’t rule anything out.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s going to come in and compete like all the other guys are, too,” Streeter said. “It’s going to be the same thing with (Helms and Wiles). They’re still raw, too, and they’re still learning every single day. Cade’s going to come in, and we’ve got to see what he’s about. We’ve got to see what he’s about early on.

“Any time you bring in a kid like the caliber of Cade, it’s going to make the whole room better. That’s what I take pride in with my group is that these guys push each other. And it’s nothing against each other. We’re competing and we’re making each other better. They’re all pulling for each other, so it’s going to be an iron-sharpening-iron situation. I’m excited about it.”

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Swinney puts two more preferred walk-ons on scholarship

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced Wednesday during his National Signing Day press conference that a pair of preferred walk-ons will be placed on scholarship. Swinney told reporters that redshirt freshman quarterback Hunter Helms and true …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced Wednesday during his National Signing Day press conference that a pair of preferred walk-ons will be placed on scholarship.

Swinney told reporters that redshirt freshman quarterback Hunter Helms and true freshman quarterback Billy Wiles will both be going on scholarship.

With five-star Cade Klubnik officially in the fold now after signing with the Tigers on Wednesday, that gives Clemson four scholarship quarterbacks for next season at this point, with Klubnik, Helms, Wiles and rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei.

Helms, a product of Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia, S.C., elected to walk-on at Clemson despite holding scholarship offers from South Florida, Troy, Holy Cross and others. He impressed with a two-touchdown performance at Georgia Tech as a true freshman in 2020, and has completed 14-of-25 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in five career games between this season and last.

Wiles, who joined Clemson as a walk-on in 2021, led Stone Bridge High School (Ashburn, Va.) to a state title in the spring of 2021 before enrolling at Clemson.

Wiles made his Clemson debut vs. UConn on Nov. 13, completing 2-of-4 passes for 31 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jake Briningstool. He became the second Clemson walk-on quarterback in as many years to throw a touchdown pass, joining Helms at Georgia Tech in 2020.

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Taking inventory: Quarterback

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead. With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand …

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand with each as the offseason quickly approaches. First up is quarterback.

A quick note first: This is where things currently stand with Clemson’s personnel at quarterback. With the one-time transfer rule and recruiting still in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

2021 in review

Clemson didn’t get nearly the kind of production at quarterback that it’s grown accustomed to in recent years. Of course, when you’re going from a pair of top-10 overall draft picks (Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence) to a young first-year starter at the position, there’s bound to be some dropoff.

But D.J. Uiagalelei, a former blue-chip recruit himself, has struggled more than many expected, particularly after the flashes he showed in two spots starts a season ago against Boston College and Notre Dame (69% completion rate, 4 TDs, 0 INT).

Things started ominously for the sophomore signal caller against No. 1 Georgia when he completed just 51% of his passes, was sacked seven times and threw the decisive pick-six in Clemson’s 10-3 loss. It’s been a rollercoaster of a season since for Uiagalelei, who has tossed as many interceptions as touchdowns (9) and enters bowl season with the second-lowest completion percentage (x) among starting ACC quarterbacks.

There were some bright spots, too. He combined to complete 61% of his passes against Florida State and Louisville in comeback wins, leading fourth-quarter touchdown drives to help Clemson pull those off. He’s also thrown touchdowns of 32, 46 and 58 yards within the last four games, an indication of better touch and accuracy on the deep ball as the season has progressed. But whether it’s from Uiagalelei or someone else, consistency is what Clemson needs more of at the position going forward if it wants to get back to playing for championships.

Despite it not being there for most of the season, Uiagalelei’s backup, Taisun Phommachanh, never got a chance to lead the offense other than a series here and there. Even when Uiagalelei was benched early in the second half against Pittsburgh, that only lasted two series. More of a pure runner than Uiagalelei, Phommachanh finished the regular season 11 of 19 passing for 131 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He ran 11 times for 71 yards and another score.

Walk-ons Hunter Helms (South Carolina State and Connecticut) and Billy Wiles (Uconn) got some playing time in blowout wins, going a combined 7 of 17 passing. Wiles had a 25-yard touchdown pass late against UConn.

Who’s leaving?

No one at the moment

Who’s staying?

Uiagalelei, Phommachanh, Helms, Wiles

Who’s joining?

Five-star commit Cade Klubnik, who’s set to sign with Clemson later this month and enroll early

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Clemson’s offense deceiving with its latest performance

Clemson’s offense ran 99 plays Saturday. The Tigers totaled 476 yards on those snaps with 347 of those coming through the air, a season-high. Clemson also scored more points than it has against any FBS opponent all season and cruised to a 44-7 …

Clemson’s offense ran 99 plays Saturday. The Tigers totaled 476 yards on those snaps with 347 of those coming through the air, a season-high. Clemson also scored more points than it has against any FBS opponent all season and cruised to a 44-7 victory inside a sun-splashed Memorial Stadium.

So it was a good day for the offense, right?

That’s not exactly the right adjective.

The final numbers, particularly for a group that’s struggled to find any consistent footing throughout the season, certainly look good for a Power Five roster littered with four- and five-star recruits going up against one that can only dream about that kind of talent. On the surface, it looked like another step in the right direction for an offense that had reached the 20-point mark in regulation against back-to-back FBS foes for the first time all season.

But looks, as they say, can be deceiving.

“Really the story of the day was missed plays,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “So many missed opportunities for just very easy plays. So that was a little disappointing.”

It was a struggle for most of the afternoon for the first- and second-teamers, who found the end zone just three times as injuries continue to mount. Leading rusher Will Shipley and Kobe Pace were both held out as a precaution. Offensive lineman Will Putnam (ankle) missed his second straight game. And Justyn Ross permanently joined fellow injured wideout Joseph Ngata on the sideline during the first half after going down with a foot injury.

Then there’s quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who’s dealing with an injury of his own. Uiagalelei sported a brace to support the right knee he sprained the previous week at Louisville, but that didn’t explain everything to the kind of performance that reverted back to the erratic ones he put on display during the first half of the season.

Uiagalelei had a season-high in passing yards (247), but he completed just 47% of his passes with a touchdown and an interception, his seventh of the season. A handful of drops didn’t help, but those misfires that were so frequent through Clemson’s first eight games reared their ugly head. At one point, Uiagalelei threw eight straight incompletions and finished the first half 17 of 37.

“He’s been great in practice. He was awesome all week,” Swinney said. “Just was very inaccurate in the first quarter and a half. Just very, very inaccurate. But it wasn’t that way in practice all week.”

Taisun Phommachanh came in early in the second quarter and helped lead Clemson’s first touchdown drive, completing a 33-yard pass to Dacari Collins in the process. But Phommachanh never re-entered the game, and not because his coaches didn’t want to put him back in.

Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said there were conversations about letting Phommachanh take over the offense for the rest of the half, but the Tigers’ backup was added to the injury list when he banged up his shoulder at some point during that possession. Swinney said after the game he’s hopeful it’s nothing serious.

“Taisun came in there and gave us a spark, so there would’ve been a lot more opportunity for Taisun had he been available in the first half but also, too, in the second half as we started to let guys play,” Elliott said.

That’s part of the reason why Uiagalelei attempted a season-high 44 passes on one healthy knee. Swinney said UConn invited more passes with its one-high safety look that often left man coverage on the outside, but Uiagalelei also started the second half despite throwing a touchdown pass to Beaux Collins late in the first half that extended Clemson’s lead to three touchdowns at the break. He wasn’t relieved by walk-ons Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles until late in the third quarter.

Elliott said there was no thought of turning to Helms at any point in the first half. Swinney said he didn’t think about it to start the third quarter either.

“We needed to get control of the game,” Swinney said. “And we felt like we had control of the game. We just wanted to finish with a little bit more precision there, and I thought it was good for D.J. just kind of working his way out.”

Clemson’s quarterbacks also combined to put the ball in the air 57 times because the Tigers couldn’t consistently run the ball against the nation’s 111th-ranked run defense. Clemson had been better on the ground of late, averaging 165 rushing yards over the last five games, but the Tigers mustered just 129 yards on 42 carries, or barely 3 yards per tote.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting,” Elliott said. “Give credit to UConn. They did a good job and had a good plan. They had a couple of weeks to prepare. They tried to stop our prominent runs, the inside zone, and we tried to get to some outside stuff.

“Overall I want to watch the tape and kind of see what happened. Just weren’t consistent enough.”

Clemson also converted just 5 of 22 third downs, leading to a season-high in fourth-down attempts. The Tigers converted five of its six fourth downs, including three on their first scoring drive. Wiles’ 25-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Jake Briningstool in garbage time put some makeup on the final score.

“No concern,” Elliott said. “Just an opportunity for us to make sure we reset and focus. Get some guys back and ready to go. Challenge some guys from a  leadership standpoint. Great learning opportunity. What the guys have shown this year is that they respond. They rebound. So we won’t bigger than what it really is.”

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Swinney on how QB2 battle went in first scrimmage

Will Taylor continues to impress in fall camp. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney recently compared the freshman quarterback to college football legend Doug Flutie, and Swinney had more good things to say about Taylor following the Tigers’ first fall …

Will Taylor continues to impress in fall camp.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney recently compared the freshman quarterback to college football legend Doug Flutie, and Swinney had more good things to say about Taylor following the Tigers’ first fall scrimmage on Saturday.

“I’ll tell you, Will’s electric, man,” Swinney said. “He covers up problems, he fixes mistakes just because he’s so dynamic and so athletic. So, you just can’t help but notice him when he’s on the field. He creates a different dimension.”

As for Taylor’s fellow true freshman quarterback, Billy Wiles, Swinney said he was “solid” in the scrimmage.

“I think he was 3-for-6 or 2-for-5, something like that. Didn’t get a ton of opportunity,” Swinney said. “But the biggest thing we’re evaluating these guys on is just doing their job. Sometimes the play’s bad or whatever, but we’re evaluating these guys not on their stats – we’re evaluating these guys on where they are from their progress, their technique, their knowledge, their functionality, and those guys have done a great job. Billy and Will have really got a good solid foundation and good grasp of where we are.”

Redshirt sophomore Taisun Phommachanh was a non-participant in Saturday’s scrimmage as he continues to recover from the torn Achilles he suffered in April’s spring game, but remains mentally engaged according to Swinney.

Swinney added he has been “very pleased” with redshirt freshman quarterback Hunter Helms, who completed 9-of-12 passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in three games last season.

“Hunter, he just looks like he’s been here for a year or so,” Swinney said. “He’s put a lot of work in, he knows our system. Obviously Taisun is not scrimmaging yet but feel great about where he is from a mental standpoint.”

“Hunter, I thought had a good day today,” Swinney continued. “Again, doing his job. The play may not always go great or the protection may break down, but just him demonstrating his knowledge and his confidence. I think he’s more confident in fall camp than I saw him in the spring. Again, I just think knowledge wise, he’s in a good place. So, excited about that, and same thing with D.J. (Uiagalelei).”

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Uiagalelei says QBs will be ready

When spring practices came to a close this past April, D.J. Uiagalelei said he was going to do two things by the time fall camp started. The first was to go back and study himself from the spring and see how he can make himself a better quarterback. …

When spring practices came to a close this past April, D.J. Uiagalelei said he was going to do two things by the time fall camp started.

The first was to go back and study himself from the spring and see how he can make himself a better quarterback. The second was to make sure everyone in the quarterback room was ready as well.

Was Uiagalelei’s summer a success? He thinks so.

The Clemson quarterback says he and the rest of the guys in his position room are ready for what’s next as the Tigers open fall camp on Friday behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex in Clemson.

Though Uiagalelei has things anchored down as the starter, all eyes will be on the backup situation as Dabo Swinney and the coaches desperately hope they can have Hunter Helms, Will Taylor and Billy Wiles ready by the start of the season.

Helms is the only one of the three to participate in spring practice. The former walk-on redshirted last season, though he did see a little action in mop-up duty.

The coaches really like the way Helms competes. They think he has a chance to be someone they can count on, but as Swinney said after the Spring Game, “He is still a developing guy.”

“Hunter has been there as long as me, so he knows the offense really well,” Uiagalelei said. “He is getting better every day.”

Taylor and Wiles are both true freshmen, who arrived at Clemson in late June. Taylor is a two-sport athlete, who the coaches think can also help the team in the future at wide receiver. But for the time being, he is a quarterback.

Wiles is a walk-on from Virginia.

“They have really picked up the offense well. I am super proud of them,” Uiagalelei said. “They are doing a really good job. They are taking a hold of the offense and getting a grasp of it and just really coming into their own.”

Clemson could have a fourth backup quarterback, and perhaps the most important one, in the mix when camp starts. Uiagalelei said at the ACC Football Kickoff on July 22, redshirt sophomore Taisun Phommachanh could be ready for a return by the Tigers’ home opener against S.C. State on Sept. 11.

Swinney, nor quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, had a timeline on when Phommachanh could return after tearing his Achilles tendon in the final moments of the Spring Game on April 3. However, Swinney did say they will get him back sometime this coming fall.

Phommachanh played in four games last year and was expected to be the Tigers’ backup before he suffered his injury with just over a minute to play in the Spring Game.

The Tigers kick off the season on Sept 4 in Charlotte when it takes on Georgia in the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic from Bank of America Stadium.

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