One of the most intense battles during the spring could come at the quarterback position.
DJ Uiagalelei is no doubt set to take over as the Tigers starting quarterback, but there are a lot of reps to be taken before the rest of the depth cart behind him is ironed out.
Taisun Phommachanh is now entering his third season and to this point hasn’t had many opportunities on the field. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media on Wednesday ahead of the teams first practice of the spring and said he is looking forward to how Phommachanh competes.
“I’m also excited about Taisun, he made a lot of strides for us last year,” Swinney said. “But now in stepping into this this next role I want to see him go compete. He’s the guy that we’ve got to get to another level this spring.”
Phommachanh enters 2021 having completed just 11-of-29 passes for 73 yards. Last season he was just 5-of-17 for only 17 yards.
The third-year quarterback came to Clemson as one of the best quarterback prospects in the country in the 2019 class and a Top-150 player overall, and Swinney said that now is the time for Phommachanh to take the next step in his development
“He’s one of those guys that is functional,” Swinney said. “But I really want that, I want that confidence to be there. That he can go, you know, win the game and go win the championship. He’s got to be ready to have that mindset. I just think there’s a whole other level we can get to with Taisun.”
