Healthy, Slimmed Down Uiagalelei's Confidence at All-Time High
CLEMSON, S.C.- It's fair to say that DJ Uiagalelei is extremely determined to be the best quarterback he can be.
Taking over for the departed Trevor Lawrence as the Tigers' full-time starting quarterback last season, most expected the transition to be fairly seamless. After all, Uiagalelei had seen the field plenty during his freshman season, even making two starts, and looked like the next big-time quarterback at the helm of the Clemson offense.
However, Uiagalelei's sophomore season was filled with adversity. The Tigers were consistently inconsistent on the offensive side of the ball, with Uiagalelei having his fair share of struggles.
Despite the inconsistent play, and ranking at or near the bottom in most statistical categories among ACC quarterbacks, Uiagalelei insists he is as confident as he's ever been. He's also healthy, after having to play through a sprained PCL and torn tendons in the index finger on his throwing hand.
"Injuries are good, yeah," Uiagalelei said. "Knee's getting better, knee's getting 100%. Finger's getting 100%... everything's been going good.
"I feel like my confidence is at an all-time high. I feel like it's at the same spot it has been my whole career. "I'm just ready to come out here, just compete and continue to get better each and every day. Just take it one day at a time, one rep at a time."
Although, while still confident in his ability to lead a successful Clemson offense, Uiagalelei readily admits there are some areas in which he can improve. The first step, he said, was dropping some weight from his 6-foot-5 frame. After weighing as much as 260 pounds during the 2021 season, the quarterback is now down to around 240.
"When I went back home, I was eating a lot, like a good bit," the quarterback said. "I was like, dang, I gotta lose some weight. That was one of my main things, I just wanted to get a little lighter. Just on my knees and stuff like that. I just wanted to lose weight, but I probably lost right now about 20-25 pounds."
Uiagalelei said he'd like to get down to at least 235, maintaining that long-term, it's what's best for his career.
"Like longevity wise, career-wise," he said when asked about some of his reasons for wanting to be lighter. "Like you kind of see like the TV 12 diet and stuff like that, where your body's like a temple. So like you want to be able to like to treat your body like a Ferrari.
"I stopped putting fast food in myself, like stopped eating fast food. Like try and treat it like a high engine car, like high fancy cars, kind of just like get stuck on your body. And that's what I've been doing. Working out twice a day, eating right, and been on the meal plan."
Uiagalelei jokingly admitted he's even had to cut out the Bojangles, the company he signed a NIL with deal prior to the start of last season.
"Bojangles, right now, I'm cutting it out, just for a little bit," Uiagalelei said. "In moderation, I'll eat it sometimes. I think the biggest thing for me, I'm a big sweet tooth. So I like eating ice cream a lot. And I think that was one big thing I cut out eating all sweets."
Not only does the quarterback think that playing at a lighter weight is the right thing to do from a longevity standpoint, but he's also hoping it will make him more mobile, something Uiagalelei thinks will make him that much better of a player.
"If I lose weight then I can be able to be a lot faster," he said. "I can be able to be more mobile. I didn't feel like affected me but I feel like it can make me that much more better."
Oddsmakers like his chances to have a bounce-back junior season. Uiagalelei is in the top-5 Heisman candidates for 2022, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Reigning Heisman winner and Alabama QB Bryce Young (+200), Ohio State QB CJ Stroud (+400), QB Caleb Williams (+1400) and Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke (+2000) are ahead of Uiagalelei (+25000).
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