Phommachanh, state native, sees role at Clemson increase

There’s beating the odds, and then there’s doing what Bridgeport’s Taisun Phommachanh did to prepare for his return of college football.

The redshirt sophomore quarterback tore his Achilles tendon, an injury that typically takes at least eight months to recover, in April during Clemson’s Orange and White spring game.

Surely, there was no way he’d make it back in time for the regular season opener — a mere 154 days later. The timeline just didn’t seem feasible. Right?

“That’s what I was thinking,” his father, Sam, said. “He was going to be done for the year. Like, oh my God. It happened in April, so you weren’t thinking in June or July he’d be back running full speed.”

Only, Taisun didn’t see it that way. A month later, he was walking again, and three months after that he was back taking snaps in practice. It was one of the final hurdles before he was cleared by doctors on Aug. 23.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called Phommachanh’s recovery “one of those miracles,” while offensive coordinator Tony Elliott labeled him an “inspiration.”

“We all respond differently to rehab. But the type of work that he’s put in and sacrifice and discipline that he’s applied to his training and recovery has been amazing,” Swinney said, via the Greenville News.

“He looks great.”

Phommachanh, meanwhile, deemed it an act of faith.

“I prayed to God every day,” Phommachanh said. “All praises to Him.”

Opening as the No. 2 quarterback behind sophomore D.J. Uiagalelei, Phommachanh made his debut in the second half of a 49-3 blowout of South Carolina State on Sept. 11. He overcame nerves to throw for 75 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“I think we were more nervous than he was,” Sam said. “The crazy thing is, we got dinner together (following his injury), and he was like, ‘Look, I’m going to be back.’ I was like, ‘Uh, OK.’ I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t think he’d come back that fast.”

Phommachanh’s most extensive action since then came last Saturday during a 27-17 loss to Pittsburgh, in which he completed 3 of 7 passes for 23 yards and led Clemson to a field goal in two drives.

At 4-3, Clemson is off to its worst start since 2014. Its chances of returning to the CFB Playoff for the seventh straight season are already shot. With its offense — which ranks last in the ACC and 115th nationally — under scrutiny, speculation about a change at quarterback is growing ahead of Saturday’s game against Florida State.

While the Tigers have yet to publicly name a starter this week, Elliott suggested the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Phommachanh may at least see more action in run-pass option packages. Phommachanh ran for 15 yards against Pittsburgh, bringing his career total to 101 on 23 carries.

“You saw what he was able to do,” Elliott said, via The State. “He was able to pull the ball down, extend some plays. I thought he did a good job of managing the system, which is something we needed to see.”

Clemson has four games remaining after this week, including a matchup with UConn on Nov. 13. Phommachanh was hoping to play his younger brother, Tyler, a freshman quarterback with the Huskies, but the latter hurt his knee in a loss to Vanderbilt earlier this month and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

The two were teammates at Avon Old Farms in 2018, where Taisun was rated the state’s No. 1 prospect by ESPN.

“Just to be on the same field as him,” Taisun said, “is a blessing.”

Better yet, given his injury, just playing at all is a blessing.

“Taisun put in a lot of work,” Sam said. “He definitely did. Personally, I thought it was going to be at least eight months.”