Dabo Swinney: ‘DJ is the Starter for Sure. This is where we are’

Tigers Plan to Give Klubnik as Much Opportunity as They Can

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney hopes they can give freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik as much playing time as possible this coming season, but his starting quarterback is DJ Uiagalelei.

“DJ is the starter for sure. This is where we are,” Swinney said following Wednesday’s scrimmage at Memorial Stadium, the Tigers second and final one of preseason camp. “Obviously, he has to go play well. Just like anybody else, you have to go play well. We certainly hope to get Cade as much opportunity as we can.”

The fourth-ranked Tigers are approaching the quarterback situation the same way they did back in 2020 when Trevor Lawrence was the starter and Uiagalelei was a freshman.

“We wanted to get DJ in as often as we could during Trevor’s last year,” Swinney said. “DJ is going to graduate in December. He has big goals and aspirations, and he knows what he has to do. He just has to go do it.

“Hopefully, we will be able to get Cade as much opportunity as we can, but DJ is the starter and he has earned that, it is up to him to continue to earn it every week.”

Uiagalelei earned the starting job after committing himself to lose 24 pounds since the end of last season, while subsequently improving as a passer and runner. The junior, again, had another stellar practice on Wednesday, as he was clean with his decision making and making plays with both his arms and legs.

“DJ, I think, played pretty clean, procedurally. He was very clean with his decision making,” Swinney said. “He had one play that he would like to have back. But procedurally, and all of that, he made a couple of good plays with his legs.

“The biggest thing has been his creativity. He has made a lot of plays with his legs in camp. I have told him three or five times, ‘You would not have made that play last year.’ He is just moving so much better. He has lots of confidence. That is the number one thing. He has really done a good job there.”

Swinney also thought his freshman quarterback did well, too.

“I thought they both did some really good things, but they both missed a couple of plays, too,” he said. “Cade had a really big play, but then took a sack. Again, that is the purple jersey syndrome. Once he gets lit a couple of times, he’ll get ride of it. He took a sack in the redzone. Had one bad decision he would like to have back.”

Overall, Klubnik has shown his big-play ability in camp, and his legs have helped the Clemson defense.

“Cade is a problem in the pocket because he is really, really fast,” Swinney said. “It’s awesome because he can really create. It is good for Clemson, but it is also good for our defense to see some speed like that because he can really, really run. I thought he made a couple of nice plays with his legs today.”

Clemson will open the season on Labor Day Night against Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-Kickoff Classic in Atlanta.

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