Helmet communication is here, but Klubnik and Riley unsure how much they will use it

Riley and Klubnik will continue to use the new helmet comms in the spring.

David Hood - Senior Writer - Friday, July 26 2024

CHARLOTTE – In-helmet communications are now a part of college football, but how much Clemson uses the new technology has yet to be determined.

The NCAA approved in April a rule allowing for in-helmet communication between the coach and a singular player on each side of the ball. Games featuring FBS teams will give each the option of using coach-to-player communications through one player's helmet on the field, designated with a green dot on the midline of his helmet. Several teams used helmet communications during the most recent bowl season, but it will now be an option for every game in the sport's top division.

Coach-to-player communication will be shut off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or the snap of the ball -- whichever comes first. The NFL and other levels of football, including some high school associations, have long used helmet communication to signal in plays.

Teams in all football divisions also will have the option of using tablets to view in-game video. Up to 18 tablets will be distributed on the sideline, locker room and coaches' booths to study the game broadcast feed as well as camera angles from a team's sideline and end zone. All team personnel can view the tablets but cannot connect to other devices, project larger images or provide data and analytics.

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley said the new tools will help, but he also cautioned that coaches have to be aware of not putting too much on a players’ plate.

“I think it's certainly going to be a helpful tool. There's no question about it,” Riley said. “I think the whole key with Cade (Klubnik), with all of our quarterbacks and probably across the board in college football, is just what's going to be too much for some of those guys. I mean, they're not professionals. They're not an NFL quarterback that's sitting in a meeting room every hour of the day. And so I just think that's where, as coaches, we have to do a good job of not really putting too much on his plate, but I think it's certainly going to be a helpful tool.”

Klubnik said he tried out the new system in the spring.

“We used them a good bit in the spring. I can't remember exactly how much we used it, but it'll be cool to kind of use,” Klubnik said. “It’s the first time, which is kind of nice, so we'll see what it's really going to be like in a game. I think that the way that our offense is and the way that we kind of do things, it'll be kind of unique. So, we'll see exactly how Coach Riley ends up wanting to really use it. And the spring was kind of a test dummy-ish, so we'll kind of see exactly how the fall would go when are we getting into some scrimmages and stuff.”

Klubnik then said the change was long overdue.

“I think that it should have been in college football a long time ago,” Klubnik said. “The NFL has been doing it forever, and you just look at all the people stealing signals and everything. I just think that it should have been a while ago. So, I think it's great for the game, and I think it'll be really good. But I mean, in terms of helping a guy that's just now starting out, at the end of the day, you still have to snap the football, and that's when it really matters. It's after the snap that you see what kind of player you are, so being able to know the offense and whatever it is but getting the signal is never really that hard. You'll learn it pretty quick.”

Riley reached out to people in the NFL for help.

“I tried to ask several NFL guys that have just more experience with it and with that sort of technology, and so was able to kind of bounce some ideas off of their trial and errors, and hopefully it'll speed up ours as we go through it,” Riley said. “But with our style of offense and what we do and what we believe in, we feel like whatever we're putting out there on the script or in a game plan, we feel like he's (Klubnik) going to be able to execute no matter what happens. And so that's kind of the core philosophy now. If we can give them a little added tip and help 'em out, great, but again, don't want to give them too much either.”