Among the 17,000-plus spectators in attendance for Clemson’s Orange & White Game on Saturday were a few of the Tigers’ signees in the 2021 class, including Will Taylor, a two-sport standout from Dutch Fork High School (Irmo, S.C.) who is expected to play both football and baseball for the Tigers.
The Clemson Insider caught up with Taylor, who enjoyed his experience in Death Valley watching the team he will be joining as a summer enrollee in a couple of months.
“Me and my family had a great time,” he said. “Feels great to be back at a game!”
Clemson signed Taylor as a quarterback, and head coach Dabo Swinney has said the Tigers plan to train him at that position during his first year in the program before transitioning him to receiver.
Taylor will be a welcome addition to Clemson’s QB room, especially with the Tigers now lacking depth after backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh suffered what Swinney said was probably a torn Achilles’ tendon at the end of the spring game.
Other than starter D.J. Uiagalelei, the only healthy quarterback on Clemson’s current roster is walk-on Hunter Helms. If Phommachanh did tear his Achilles as Swinney feared, then he could miss up to six months.
“I’m not sure what the depth chart will look like,” Taylor said, “but I hate it for Taisun. I hope he has a quick recovery.”
Besides Phommachanh exiting early with the injury, Taylor liked what he saw from the Tigers during the spring game, which the White team won by a final score of 14-13 over the Orange.
“I thought they looked good,” Taylor said. “I can’t wait to suit up and go play with those guys.”
While in the Valley on Saturday, Taylor was able to spend some time with the other two signal-callers slated to enroll at Clemson this summer in scholarship quarterback Bubba Chandler of Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee and preferred walk-on Billy Wiles of Ashburn (Va.) Stone Bridge.
“I got a chance to catch up with Bubba Chandler and Billy Wiles at the game,” Taylor said. “I had a great time talking with those guys.”
Taylor has also been staying in touch with members of Clemson’s coaching staff as he gets ready to enroll this summer.
“I have been talking to some coaches a little bit about how their spring practice is going and how they are preparing,” he said.
Taylor is scheduled to move into Clemson at the end of June and very much looks forward to starting his career as a Tiger.
“I am pumped and can’t wait to be in a Tiger uniform,” he said. “Can’t wait to compete every day.”
Taylor starred at quarterback for Dutch Fork as a senior in 2020, throwing for 2,237 yards and 21 touchdowns with just four interceptions, and rushing for 448 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading his team to the 5A state championship – its fifth consecutive state title.
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