Does D.J. Uiagalelei still have an NFL future?
If you are a fan of college football, you have no doubt heard the name D.J. Uiagalelei by now. As a former top recruit, he entered college with a ton of clout and fans assumed he was on the fast track to suiting up on Sundays in the NFL.
Instead, Uiagalelei's career has morphed into a winding road across college football. Stops at Clemson, Oregon State, and now Florida State have given him plenty of opportunity to impress, but so far, he has never been able to recapture the promise he flashed as a true freshman back in 2020. As a draft prospect, his footwork, decision-making, and accuracy have left a lot to be desired and he has not shown a tremendous amount of development in those areas throughout his time in school.
Following in the footsteps of a campus legend is always hard. That is exactly what Uiagalelei was brought to Clemson to do. He arrived at Clemson in 2020. Incumbent starter Trevor Lawrence was entering his junior season having guided the Tigers to back-to-back national championship games, winning the first when he was just a true freshman.
Uiagalelei was a prized prospect. He was a five-star recruit and a top-15 player at On3, Rivals and 24/7. The only quarterback ranked ahead of him was Bryce Young. Dabo Swinney had Clemson on top of the world and everyone expected the good times to continue with Uiagalelei under center.
He got off to a strong start in Death Valley as well. He appeared in 10 games as a freshman and looked good. He completed 78 of 117 attempts (66.7 percent) for 914 yards and five touchdowns. He didn't throw an interception and had a healthy 8.7 air yards per attempt, meaning he was pushing the ball down the field.
What gave people the most hope was Uiagalelei's performance against Notre Dame in a thrilling November showdown. With Lawrence unavailable after testing positive for COVID, Uiagalelei stepped in and dazzled. He threw for 439 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. Unfortunately, Clemson failed to convert a 4th and 24 in double overtime to lose the game.
That 2020 season was another strong one for the Tigers. They reached the College Football Playoff again but missed out on a third straight national championship game. The future seemed bright for Uiaglelei and the program.