Clemson QB out indefinitely after Achilles tear late in spring game
Clemson’s quarterback depth took a big hit on Saturday.
Sophomore backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh suffered a torn Achilles during the annual Orange-White game, Coach Dabo Swinney confirmed. The injury came on the final drive of the game when Phommachanh completed a pass to Davis Allen. Swinney said Phommachanh thought someone hit him on the play, but it was a non-contact injury.
Phommachanh was on the ground for several minutes and couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he exited the field.
“I hate to see that for him,” Swinney said. “He has four years left and it is so easy to magnify the pain of the moment, especially when you are a young person. His experience, knowledge, progress and all things he has been able to do, that isn’t going to go away.
“This is definitely a setback for him and our team, but everybody deals with setbacks and challenges along the way. It is how you respond to those things that really determines everyone’s success. We know he will respond the right way. We will get a great team around him and get him back better than ever.”
Phommachanh (pronounced poo-mah-chun) was listed on the depth chart behind starter DJ Uiagalele, who was entering his first season as a starter replacing Trevor Lawrence.. He has appeared in seven games in the past two seasons. The sophomore was 14-of-25 for 163 yards and a TD in the game before leaving.
“All prayers to Taisun. Hope he gets better,” Uiagalele said.
With Phommachanh gone, that leaves the Tigers with two quarterbacks on campus in Uiagalele and former Gray Collegiate standout Hunter Helms. Helms, a sophomore, threw for 86 yards on 11-of-18 passing.
Helms, a walk-on, appeared in three games last season and threw a pair of touchdown passes as a freshman last season.
Swinney compared this situation to one he had in 2018 when receiver Hunter Renfrow, who played quarterback in high school, was his third-string QB with punter Will Spiers as the fourth-stringer.
Clemson has three quarterbackss expected to enroll in June in Bubba Chandler, Will Taylor and Billy Wiles. Both Chandler and Taylor, who played at Dutch Fork, also are baseball standouts and could be taken in the 2021 MLB Draft.
“We will evaluate all summer long and see what the best chance is we need to do to be successful,” Swinney said. “Hopefully, these guys will come in and be ready to work and compete. DJ has got to do a good job as a leader to help develop these guys as well.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2021 at 4:14 PM.
