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.

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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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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 …

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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5 key questions for Clemson heading into fall camp

Football season is officially here. Clemson will open fall camp Friday. Having been a part of the College Football Playoff six straight seasons with that many consecutive ACC titles, the expectation for the Tigers once again this fall is to be a …

Football season is officially here.

Clemson will open fall camp Friday. Having been a part of the College Football Playoff six straight seasons with that many consecutive ACC titles, the expectation for the Tigers once again this fall is to be a national championship contender.

But when you lose a No. 1 overall draft pick at quarteback and the ACC’s all-time leading rusher as part of the usual roster attrition that occurs from one season to the next, there are some questions that need to be answered. And that’s where Clemson finds itself.

Here are five pressing questions the Tigers need to answer over the next four weeks before that marquee opener against Georgia on Sept. 4.

What does the QB depth look like?

Here’s what we know about Clemson’s quarterback situation: D.J. Uiagalelei is the guy.

Any concerns about who would succeed Trevor Lawerence were put to bed by Uiagalelei’s small but impressive sampling last season when he filled in for Lawrence against Boston College and Notre Dame during the regular season. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder looked like anything but a true freshman, introducing his poise and rocket arm to the college football world with 781 passing yards and four passing touchdowns (with no interceptions) in those two starts.

Third-year sophomore Taisun Phommachanh is the backup when fully healthy, but he’s not there. At least not yet.

The good news is the outlook for Phommachanh is much better than expected after he tore his Achilles during Clemson’s spring game, which created doubt as to whether he would be available at all this fall. But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said last month Phommachanh’s recovery has been “phenomenal” and that he’ll be back at some point this season, though Swinney didn’t offer a timetable as to when exactly that might be.

The best-case scenario would be Phommachanh returning at some point during fall camp. But if that doesn’t happen, the Tigers will need another backup for the time being.

Clemson has three other quarterbacks on the roster after losing signee and Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick Bubba Chandler to professional baseball, though only one, redshirt freshman walk-on Hunter Helms, has thrown a pass in a college game. Signee Will Taylor and another walk-on, Billy Wiles, are true freshmen.

Keeping Uiagalelei upright has to be Clemson’s top priority given the situation behind him. But the Tigers also need a contingency plan if Phommachanh is going to remain out for an extended period of time.

Who will emerge as the featured back?

It’s going to be weird for coaches, players and fans not seeing Travis Etienne toting the rock or catching passes out of the backfield for the Tigers this fall. Etienne spent four years at Clemson becoming the ACC’s all-time leader in rushing and scoring before joining Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So who’s up next at running back?

Lyn-J Dixon figures to finally get his shot at being the Tigers’ workhorse after serving as Etienne’s primary backup the last three seasons. The senior has made the most of his opportunities, averaging 6.5 yards on his 208 career carries, but he’s far from alone on the Tigers’ pre-camp depth chart.

Dixon is listed as a co-starter with sophomore Kobe Pace, a bigger back at 215 pounds. Pace got his feet wet last season with 18 carries in nine games. He also caught a touchdown pass.

There’s also heralded freshman Will Shipley, one of the gems of Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class. Dixon and Pace have the edge on Shipley in the experience department, but Shipley impressed this spring as an early enrollee. The five-star recruit is likely to carve out some sort of role, which could include returning kicks.

Darien Rencher, Michel Dukes Jr. and another freshman, Phil Mafah, are also in the running back room. Dixon may have a head start on being the guy, but there’s plenty of competition.

Can Justyn Ross return to his old form?

No player’s return has been more anticipated this offseason than Ross.

After two seasons at Clemson, the former blue-chip recruit was being billed as the Tigers’ next first-round talent at receiver, and for good reason. Ross burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2018 by leading the team in receiving yards and followed that up by catching a team-best 66 passes as a sophomore. A big play seemingly waiting to happen, Ross already has 17 career touchdown receptions.

Ross didn’t add to any of those numbers a season ago after undergoing corrective congenital spine fusion surgery last summer that threatened his playing career, but Ross was eventually cleared for non-contact drills and is on the cusp of a full return. Swinney said late last month that Ross hadn’t yet received full medical clearance but was optimistic that would happen soon.

Assuming that happens, Ross is expected to again be the Tigers’ go-to receiver even if he’s slowly worked back into the mix. But he’s not the only one Clemson is hoping can return to his old form.

Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr. enter camp healthy after dealing with various injuries that slowed them down a season ago. Ngata, another former five-star signee, caught just seven passes last season after catching 17 for 240 yards and three scores as a freshman in 2019. Ladson had his most productive season with the Tigers last season with three of his 18 catches going for touchdowns, but he was limited to just four starts.

Who will be the offensive line’s best five?

At this point, Jordan McFadden (who’s going from right tackle to left), Matt Bockhorst and Will Putnam are veterans along the offensive line. But who will join them in the starting five?

Clemson needs a new starting right tackle with McFadden switching sides. Former top-100 recruit Walker Parks is at the top of the depth chart there after playing nine games as a freshman, but another second-year player, Mitchell Mayes, will be competing with him at that spot.

And which direction do the Tigers go at center? It’s an underappreciated but vital position up front that requires brains and brawn, and Clemson will be starting over there with either Hunter Rayburn or Mason Trotter. Vying to take over for the departed Cade Stewart, Rayburn and Trotter aren’t completely green — they’ve combined for 290 career snaps — but neither sophomore has started a game.

Veteran offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell likes to cross-train his guys, so don’t be surprised if some linemen (particularly the younger ones) move around at times. The Tigers will need to find the right combination quickly with one of the most formidable defensive fronts they’ll see all season awaiting against Georgia.

What is Fred Davis’ status with the team?

Pre-camp depth charts aren’t everything, but Davis was listed as a co-starter at cornerback. That was before he was charged with reckless driving earlier this week after local police said Davis was going 115 miles per hour in a 55-mile-per-hour zone before striking a mail carrier vehicle and injuring the driver.

Clemson announced afterward that Davis is still part of the football program but that he would face “internal discipline” as a result of the incident. The school didn’t specify what the discipline would entail.

The Tigers have some depth at corner. Andrew Booth finished second on the team in pass breakups last season while Sheridan Jones, Mario Goodrich and Malcolm Greene all started multiple games a season ago, but if Davis’ punishment extends into the season, that would leave just five scholarship players — one of them being true freshman Nate Wiggins — for those two spots for the time being.

Clemson already lost one corner earlier this offseason with the dismissal of Derion Kendrick, who’s now at Georgia. Swinney is expected to address Davis’ situation before Friday’s practice, but the Tigers don’t need any more attrition at corner if they want to keep that depth intact.

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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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Quarterback depth ‘not a concern’ for Streeter

Following the conclusion of the MLB draft last weekend, all eyes were on Clemson’s quarterback room and the looming decisions of incoming freshmen Will Taylor and Bubba Chandler. While Clemson will continue on with Will Taylor aboard and without …

Following the conclusion of the MLB draft last weekend, all eyes were on Clemson’s quarterback room and the looming decisions of incoming freshmen Will Taylor and Bubba Chandler.

While Clemson will continue on with Will Taylor aboard and without Bubba Chandler, who decided to pursue professional baseball, quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter isn’t worried. In fact, Streeter is more excited than anything to see what his five guys can do once fall camp rolls around.

“I think we’re gonna have five guys that I feel really good about,” Streeter said. “Obviously, there’s a lot to do and it is a little more thin than most years, but as you all recall, the year that we won the national championship in 2018, after that fourth game losing Kelly [Bryant], it was Trevor [Lawrence], Chase [Brice], Ben Batson, and then Hunter Renfrow. It was two guys that you felt good about, but we’re gonna be deeper this year and now it’s a matter of getting them ready to play.”

Despite what some would consider a lack of depth, starter D.J. Uiagalelei has more experience coming into his second season than Lawrence did in his national championship campaign, something Streeter thinks could be a real difference maker come kickoff this fall.

“Obviously, losing Bubba, we lost that number and a little bit more depth,” Streeter said. “Coming in in June is very very hard to learn offense and be very comfortable with it, but I’ve been very impressed with Will Taylor and also with Billy Wiles. I think both those kids are gonna be capable and are going to be able to help us. Obviously, you got D.J. who has more experience than Trevor did going into Trevor’s freshman year when we won the whole thing, so I’m really not concerned.”

With guys like Hunter Helms, Taisun Phommachanh, and the freshmen Taylor and Wiles sitting behind Uiagalelei, Streeter is confident in his quarterback room, despite some of their lack of experience, seeing a parallel between the way Brice became “that guy” in 2018 against Syracuse and the potential he sees within this year’s group.

“I think there’s a couple guys that don’t have much experience, but neither did Chase have much experience until that Syracuse game,” the quarterbacks coach said. “Chase did something special in that game and the team rallied around him and that sort of thing. We have guys on this team that are capable of doing something like that for sure.”

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Clemson’s goal is to keep Uiagalelei healthy

With Taisun Phommachanh still recovering from a torn Achilles, and 4-star prospect Bubba Chandler giving up football to pursue a professional career in baseball, Clemson’s quarterback situation is a little dicey heading into fall camp this year. The …

The good news is Clemson still has one of the top quarterbacks in the country in D.J. Uiagalelei, who many believe will be a Heisman Trophy candidate in his first season as a starting quarterback. However, with Phommachanh out, the Tigers do not have a ready-to-play backup quarterback.

Heading into camp, Uiagalelei will be backed up by a quarterback who was recruited to eventually be a wide receiver and two walk-ons. In other words, the Clemson coaches will have to do everything they can to keep Uiagalelei healthy until Phommachanh is ready to play.

D.J. Uiagalelei, So., 6-4, 250: As a true freshman, Uiagalelei played very well in the two games Trevor Lawrence missed due to COVID-19, leading the Tigers to the greatest come-from-behind victory at Death Valley in school history, as he rallied Clemson from an 18-point deficit to beat Boston College, 34-28 on Oct. 31. A week later, even in a loss to Notre Dame in South Bend, he played great, throwing for 439 yards, the most ever against an Irish defense. He nearly willed an outmanned Clemson team to victory in a double-overtime defeat. In his two starts, Uiagalelei played nearly flawless, completing 59-of-85 passes (69.4 percent) for 781 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for two scores, including a 30-yard touchdown run against Boston College. In the Spring Game, he completed 20-of-28 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown.

Hunter Helms, *Fr., 6-1, 210: A walk-on, Helms impressed with a two-touchdown performance at Georgia Tech as a true freshman. He enters 2021 having completed 9-of-12 passes for 77 yards and two scores after playing in three games last year.

Will Taylor, Fr., 5-10, 175: Though he was picked in the 19^th round of the MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers (554 overall) earlier this week, Taylor is locked in with Tigers and will likely enter fall camp as the third string quarterback, though Clemson eventually wants to transition him to wide receiver during his career. Taylor has the credentials as a quarterback, but he is not built to be a college quarterback, especially right now as a true freshman. However, he did lead Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) to the Class 5A State Championship last year, while putting up good numbers. With Bubba Chandler leaving Clemson for professional baseball and Taisun Phommachanh still rehabbing from a torn Achilles in the Spring Game, the Tigers have no choice but to get Taylor ready for the start of the season.

Billy Wiles, Fr., 6-3, 215: Wiles is a preferred walk-on from Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia. He turned down offers from Maryland and Tulane to walk-on at Clemson. He was a 3-star prospect and had a rating of .814 according to the 247Sports Composite. He is a pro-style quarterback. The 2020 high school football season in the state of Virginia was postponed until the spring, but Wiles threw for 2,481 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior in 2019, while leading his Stone Bridge team to a 12-2 record and appearance in the Class 5 state title game.

**Taisun Phommachanh, *So., 6-3, 220: Phommachanh is sill recovering from his torn Achilles from the Spring Game. The hope is he will be able to be back at some point this season, but there is currently no official timetable for his return. Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott did report earlier this summer that Phommachanh’s recovery is going better than expected. Before getting hurt, he completed 14-of-25 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown in the Spring Game, including 9-of-11 for 123 yards in the fourth quarter. He enters 2021 having completed 11-of-29 career passes for 73 yards and having rushed for 81 yards on 19 carries in seven career games. Last year, he completed 5-of-17 passes for 17 yards and rushed seven times for 25 yards in 43 snaps over four games. In 2019, he played in three games while redshirting, completing 6-of-12 passes for 56 yards and rushing for 56 yards on 12 carries.

Note: **indicates injured; *indicates redshirt

––Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story

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