DJ Uiagalelei Proving He's a Great QB That Had a Bad Year
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.— Dabo Swinney has never wavered when it comes to DJ Uiagalelei.
After looking outstanding as a freshman, which included making two starts in place of an unavailable Trevor Lawrence, Uiagalelei had his share of struggles during his sophomore campaign, his first season as Clemson's full-time starter.
The former 5-star quarterback struggled with accuracy a season ago, completing just 56% of his passes, throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9), while finishing with one of the worst passer ratings in the ACC.
With Cade Klubnik, the nation's top-rated quarterback in the 2022 class, enrolling last January, some on the outside looking in expected a heated quarterback battle throughout the spring and fall. However, not Swinney. Throughout it all, Clemson's longtime head coach maintained that Uiagalelei was his guy, insisting that he had more than earned the right to be the starting quarterback at Clemson.
Now, during the Tigers' 4-0 start, the rest of the country is seeing what Swinney saw, as Uiagalelei's confidence is at an all-time high and he is playing some of the best football of his college career.
"I've never been happier for a guy, the kid deserves it," Swinney said. "That's who he is. That's the guy we recruited, it's who he was in high school, and all these people forget about him and have written him off. Like he's some terrible player. He's not.
"Where he is right now, as an unquestioned leader, in complete belief, he's just kind of got his mojo back."
Through the first four games, Uiagalelei has looked like a different player. The junior quarterback is completing 64% of his passes and has already gone over the 1,000-yard mark, averaging 258 yards per game. He's also thrown 10 touchdown passes to just one interception.
Even more impressive is the fact that Uiagalelei has been able to improve so much while blocking out all of the outside noise from the doubters, as well as the early season buzz surrounding Klubnik, and according to Swinney, his quarterback has done more than enough to quiet those doubters.
"I know how talented this kid is," Swinney said. "I mean, this is not theory, you know? It's not some pie in the sky, I've watched it. Everybody in the country recruited this kid. He's a great football player who had a bad year. And nobody wants to hear all the reasons why, they just want to pile on DJ and everybody wants a quarterback change."
"Cade Klubnik, I mean, he's as good as we've ever signed at Clemson. I mean, he is that good. That's how good he is. I mean, this kid is special. And for DJ to have to deal with all of that, and all these distractions, and all the drama, and all the narratives out there, you know, just can't be more proud of the guy."
If you still weren't a believer after Clemson's first three wins, Uiagalelei's performance in the 51-45 double overtime win over Wake Forest should have convinced you, according to Swinney.
The quarterback finished the game 26-of-41 for 371 yards with 5 touchdowns, completing passes to eight different receivers. A lot of that damage also came in crucial situations, as the Tigers were 16-23 on third down.
However, Uiagalelei's journey is still not complete. He still has more work to do, and his head coach is confident in his ability to get it done. Although, without the struggles of 2021, the quarterback might not be where he is today, as Swinney maintains the lessons learned from that adversity have helped shape Uiagalelei into the player he is today.
"After tonight, I don't think you can question this kid," Swinney said. "I mean, he's locked in. He's locked in. He's blocked out all the noise. I always tell these guys, external factors, they don't determine success. It's what's inside you that determines success. And he's made of the right stuff. And the challenges that he's had, the adversity he's been through, it's made him better. It's made him tougher, it's made him stronger, it's made him fight more, and we're just better around him."
"Again, four games don't make a season, we got a long way to go, but after four games, if you don't recognize this kid's special ability, then you're blind, and you just want something else to write about."
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