What the Future Holds For DJ Uiagalelei

After Clemson won the ACC Championship game this past Saturday over North Carolina 39-10, junior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei announced he was entering the transfer portal. This came after head coach Dabo Swinney announced DJ would be the backup going forward, behind freshman Cade Klubnik who relieved Uiagalelei and led the Tigers to victory. The former 5-star and #2 overall player in the 2020 class had high pressure on him ever since Klubnik arrived on campus.

Back in 2020, when future number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence was sidelined with Covid,  Uiagalelei came in and shined most notably in a 47-40 double overtime loss in South Bend to Notre Dame. His 439 yards passing and 2 touchdowns gave the Tiger faithful hope after Trevor departed for the pros. However, a disappointing sophomore season led to mumbles of a benching for freshman phenom Cade Klubnik. These whispers continued after a week one victory over Georgia Tech where Cade came in late and led a touchdown drive. The second half comeback against Syracuse that Klubnik led, and then a poor performance in the loss to in-state rival South Carolina that officially knocked the Tigers out of the College Football playoff picture, everyone in Death Valley was calling for DJ's job. These cries were met after two drives in Charlotte when Klubnik came in and led the Tigers to an easy blow out victory to reclaim the ACC title that eluded them last year. That was the final straw, and with the announcement from Coach Swinney DJ was officially out as the starter of the Clemson Tigers. 

Being a student here at Clemson, I have had a first-hand look at the roller coaster that was the quarterback position. While DJ was never really given a fair shake, he can also not fully place the blame on everyone else. Going into the 2021 season, he was facing expectations far higher than any other player in all of College Football. He was replacing the number one overall pick in the NFL draft, a quarterback who had won a national title two years prior with the same program. The same quarterback he came in relief for and looked just as good as for two games the season prior. This was completely unfair for Uiagalelei. Those two games he played in 2020, he knew he was the backup and whenever Lawrence was healthy he would be coming back to be the starter. This allowed him to be free with the ball and sling it. In 2021, he now was the starter, and poor play meant his job was not fully guaranteed. He played tentatively and scared. This only continued this past season with the emergence of Cade. Another year definitely helped with the development, however, the pressure still remained, if not higher. He was also receiving a lot of unnecessary hate from fans who had set their expectations too high.  We fail to realize as fans that these are college students, 21 years of age, not these professionals playing in the NFL. They are young and only the real special ones can handle the outside noise. While it was not perfect I think his play was good enough early in the season. People nitpicked were they good and criticized him often, failing to realize some of the good plays he was making. The offensive scheme and play-calling did not help with this either. The play calling often left DJ in some spots where it was essentially a must-lose scenario. At points he was never given a chance to get into a rhythm, or utilize his skills as a runner to open up the defense. He was fighting a slight uphill battle. With all that being said, he was not impressive when he needed to be, and in the times the team needed him to step up (the UofSC game where the defense couldn't get a stop) he was disappointing to say the least. He definitely had his moments where he shined, but with situation he was in the lows in his play stand out a lot more.

I think that transferring could be the best thing for DJ. The Clemson fanbase holds a lot of disdain for him, much of which is unnecessary and coupled with the fact they expected way to much for him. A fresh start could lead to a lot of success for him. The question is where will he find this success? I am going to label a few spots I think he will go.

WHERE I WANT: UCLA Bruins

I think this could be the best option for DJ. He steps in for Dorian Thompson-Robinson who will be graduating this year. DTR put up monster numbers for the Bruins throwing for nearly 3000 yards and 25 touchdowns while running for over 600 and 11 touchdowns. I think under Chip Kelly, Uiagalelei would be able to succeed in a scheme that can play off his arm and his legs, while staying in California where he is from. This would also be the best option for him to have a big bounce back and put up some big numbers. 

OTHER REALISTIC OPTIONS: California Golden Bears, Fresno State Bulldogs, Arizona State Sun Devils

Cal and Fresno State are self-explanatory. Both are relatively close to home for DJ and offer him to remain at a program that will offer him a good chance at having a rebound season. They both also come with the option to not be totally in the limelight and having a bunch of eyeballs on him, something I think will help in his progress and growth as a player.  Arizona State is a different, but intriguing option. ASU recently hired Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who spent this past season reviving Auburn transfer Bo Nix from an SEC disappointment to Heisman trophy contender. This would be an intriguing option, as it has a high ceiling for DJ.

SLEEPER OPTION: Oregon Ducks

With Bo Nix leaving after this year, the Ducks will need to replace him. DJ's younger brother Matayo Uiagalelei has taken an official visit to Oregon, so I would not be surprised if the Uiagalelei brothers went to Eugene to team up together.