Why Clemson’s newest walk-on QB could move up depth chart sooner than later
Mickey Thompson was out of options.
Stone Bridge High School (Virginia) was going into overtime in the program’s 10th Class 5A state championship appearance on May 1 and had only won once to that point. Their opponent, Highland Springs, had just kicked a field goal for a 10-7 lead and it was the Bulldogs’ turn to try to score.
They were at the 16-yard line and Thompson, who had led Stone Bridge to the title game in five of the last six years, wasn’t sure what play to call. The squad’s normal offense is a mix of spread and single wing, but the Bulldogs had favored spread in the championship game.
That’s when he heard Billy Wiles.
The Bulldogs’ 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback spoke with confidence and had the answer for his coach.
“Forty-six reach pass,” Thompson recalled Wiles telling him, “which is a single-wing play. More play action-oriented, but obviously it would be, than that.”
Wiles rolled to his right and found teammate Jacob Thomas in the left corner of the end zone for the 16-yard connection and score, giving Stone Bridge (9-0) its second-ever state championship.
“He never thinks he can’t do it,” Thompson said of Wiles. “People rally around that. ... It’s not cockiness. It’s just a self-assured that ‘I can get this done and we can get this done.’ ”
That confidence is what gave Wiles the gumption to, as a sophomore, command an offense that included teammates two years older than him. It’s also what helped him decide to give up a scholarship opportunity to play football at Tulane and take a preferred walk-on spot at Clemson.
It may have baffled some at the time, but the Tigers could be in need of depth at the position soon, and Wiles will have a chance to fill it.
The Trevor Lawrence era of Clemson football is over. After a historic career with the Tigers, he made even more history by becoming the program’s first-ever No. 1 NFL Draft pick, going to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
D.J. Uiagalelei inherited the keys to the offense, and that’s about the only surety the position has at the moment. Presumed backup Taisun Phommachanh tore an Achilles during the Tigers’ spring football game in April. At the time, that left walk-on redshirt sophomore Hunter Helms as the only other quarterback on the roster.
Clemson signed two quarterbacks in the Class of 2021 in Bubba Chandler and Will Taylor, both of whom plan to play baseball for the Tigers as well. The two multisport athletes are projected to go in the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday. They did report to campus on June 24 and were featured on the Tigers’ first day at college vlog the next day. Still, neither Taylor nor Chandler has made their final decision public and can still leave if they decide to pursue professional baseball now.
If they do turn pro after hearing their names called in the draft, that’ll leave Clemson with one active scholarship quarterback and two walk-ons, which includes Helms, who played in three games last year.
And then there’s Wiles, a three-star recruit who had 15 scholarship offers from schools such as Georgetown and Harvard.
The incoming freshman had committed to Tulane in April 2020 then changed his mind, breaking that pledge Dec. 11. Thirteen days later on Christmas Eve, Wiles announced he would be going to Clemson as a preferred walk-on.
Thompson’s two sons, Patrick and Zach, both played at Wake Forest, so he understood Clemson’s allure.
“It’s a different place and a different atmosphere,” Thompson said. “It’s a different opportunity. Just a chance to play there is a big deal.”
According to Maxpreps, Wiles completed 88 of 153 passes for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns in addition to carrying the ball 42 times for 214 yards and two more scores.
As a junior, Wiles rallied Stone Bridge from a 28-0 deficit in the state title contest. The Bulldogs ended up scoring 21 unanswered points and were just short of staging an unbelievable comeback victory.
But more than his numbers, Thompson believes Wiles has the “it” factor and that no moment is too big for him. Time will tell whether Chandler and Taylor stay at Clemson or go into minor league baseball.
Wiles also reported to campus in June. If he does have his number called, he’ll be ready.
“I think that’s what they saw in him,” Thompson said. “Some kids can’t handle it. They have all the talent in the world, but can’t handle that situation or they can’t handle a program like Clemson. He can handle it. That won’t be a problem.”
