Hunter Helms has had one heck of a collegiate career. Starting with Clemson football as a walk-on, Helms got few chances to really prove himself, but many Tiger fans will never forget his performance against Georgia Tech in 2020 where he completed 5-of-7 passes for over 70 yards and two scores.
The former walk-on gave it his all at Clemson from 2020-23 and then he spent the 2024 season with Rhode Island and then opted to return home as a coach.
Helms didn't have the greatest stat line at Rhode Island last season, completing 105-of-171 passes for 1,270 yards and five touchdowns with nine picks. He could have played more football but decided to hang it up and return to Clemson as an assistant under Dabo Swinney.
But things seem to have changed. Helms will be back at Clemson, but as a player-coach now.
According to TigerNet, Helms was originally joining the program as a coach but Clemson needs some depth at quarterback so he'll be on the depth chart as an emergency option if something were to happen to Cade Klubnik and his backups. He'll dress, but there's very little chance he sees the field.
This is the same role Paul Tyson had with the Tigers last season after spending two years at Alabama and a season at Arizona State before coming to Clemson in 2023. He appeared in four total games with Clemson and completed 3-of-4 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown over two seasons.
Helms will get an opportunity to close out his "playing" career with a national championship while also kickstarting his coaching career under Dabo.