How will helmet communications impact things? Hugh Freeze remains unsure as season nears

AUBURN — As Auburn fall camp gets rolling, Hugh Freeze still isn’t sure how the NCAA’s new helmet communication systems will work, or how efficient they will be.

“We don’t know,” Freeze said. “I’m probably going to throw the helmet to helmet communication on the ground a few times (Thursday) just because it’s new to me. But we’re certainly going to try to use it and find out how you can use it to be advantageous to you.”

College football will finally have helmet communication for all FBS games starting this fall, after the NCAA approved the rule in April. The decision marks a significant shift in the game.

The rules for college football helmet communication are largely similar to those used in the NFL. Only one player on each side of the ball will be allowed to wear a radio in their helmet, as indicated by a green dot. Communication will be turned off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever occurs first.

Slowing down the game and moving to the huddle definitely allows teams to add complexity and become more difficult to defend. But, implementing no-huddle concepts combined with helmet communication allows teams to be even more effective.

Freeze said at SEC Media Days he thinks teams might huddle more. He reiterated that belief days ago.

“It wouldn’t shock me if you see more teams getting in the huddle because it really doesn’t change anything if you’re not in the huddle. You still have to signal into the receivers and other people if you’re a no-huddle team,” Freeze said.

Now, there might be significant benefits of the tablets that will be deployed.

“The tablets on the other hand, I do think that there has to be a system for that, one which we’ve talked thoroughly through,” Freeze said. “And now that analysts can be a part of the instruction process, that certainly helps where they’re having the tablets that are tagging plays in the series where there’s not a lot of wasted time and your team comes to the sideline of what we need to really address.

“And so we do have a plan in place for that. I still don’t truthfully know exactly how we’re going to use the helmet to helmet. I mean, I know I will. And I can talk to Payton or our quarterbacks up to 15 seconds, but still not quite sure what all that means yet for us.”

As noted above, the helmet communications will also be in one player’s helmet on defense. However, with the unknown of what offenses might do, huddling on defense isn’t generally going to happen. So, it’s unclear what advantages will occur from the helmet communications on defense. Now, for checks and adjustments? That’s a different story, and the helmet communications could aid in those efforts.

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