USC Trojans coach Clay Helton ranks 62nd in ESPN Coaches as Players Rankings

Recently, ESPN compiled a list ranking all 129 coaches as college football players. Several factors went into the rankings such as FBS/ Power 5 competition as well as what they did in the professional ranks. In addition, non-FBS players who earned national honors all four years were placed higher on the list as well as those who lettered all four years. The coaches who did not earn any accolades while playing in the lower ranks of college football were placed lower on the list.

Clay Helton was ranked in the middle of the list at No. 62. Helton was a reserve quarterback for both Auburn and Houston. He managed to earn letters in his final two seasons at Houston 1993-94, and at the time, his father Kim was the head coach there.

The Cougars went 1-9-1 in 1993 while going 1-10 in 1994 and the elder Helton would go on to coach five more seasons for the program before taking a short break from football.

The younger Helton's best season came in 1994, when he appeared in eight games going 46-83 passing, (equaling a 55.4 completion percentage) for 417 yards and a touchdown. He did throw four interceptions on the year however as the entire team seemed to struggle.

He was sandwiched in between Nebraska's Mike Riley who comes in at No. 63 and Temple's Matt Rhule holding down the fort at No. 61.

With Helton being a former quarterback, this can only help himself and the program, as the Trojans look to start fresh with a new coach and signal-caller. It will be interesting to see if he will return to his quarterback roots and pass on some of his knowledge to the younger quarterbacks as they look to make a huge impact and fill the void left by the graduation of Cody Kessler.