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Does D.J. Uiagalelei still have an NFL future?

D.J. Uiagalelei is returning to the ACC, this time to play for Florida State. The former five-star recruit is on his third school and running out of time to deliver on his potential.

By Chris McGlynn

D.J. Uiagalelei enters his fifth season of college football with 57 touchdown passes and 27 interceptions.
D.J. Uiagalelei enters his fifth season of college football with 57 touchdown passes and 27 interceptions. / Don Juan Moore/GettyImages
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DJ Uiagalelei
Uiagalelei struggled with consistency in his two season as a starter for Clemson. / Eakin Howard/GettyImages

What followed was a very underwhelming season by Clemson standards. The Tigers were shut out in their season opener against Georgia. They also lost games against NC State and Pitt early in ACC play. A six-game winning streak to close the season, including a shutout of rival South Carolina and a win over Iowa in the Cheez-It Bowl, saw the Tigers reach double-digit wins. Still, it was a major departure from competing for national championships.

Perhaps even more significant was Uiagalelei's play. Instead of building off a promising freshman campaign, he took a major step back. His completion percentage dipped to 55.6 percent despite his average air yards per attempt plummeting to 5.3. He threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9).

Clemson's supporting cast had unquestionably gotten worse as well. Travis Etienne, Jackson Carman, Amari Rodgers, and Cornell Powell all left in the draft the year before, leading to a lot of turnover on offense.

However, it is hard to say that the Tigers were not prepared for these losses. They still had Joseph Ngata, Justyn Ross, and star freshman Beaux Collins at receiver. Freshman back Will Shipley also stepped in nicely at running back. There were some excuses for Uiagalelei, but he required a much better 2022 season to quiet the critics and justify a selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

Unquestionably, Uiagalelei's play improved in his junior season. His completion percentage bounced back to 61.9 percent. Certainly, not a great number, but a major improvement from the year prior. He also drastically improved his touchdown-to-interception ratio, tossing 22 scores and only seven picks. His average air yards per attempt also ticked up to a much more respectable 7.2 per attempt. It was a clear sign of progress, but not enough to warrant the consideration needed to jump into the NFL draft as an underclassman.

As it turned out, it was not even good enough for Uiagalelei to keep his job. Clemson had a much better season. The Tigers started 8-0, beating three ranked teams in the process, but stumbled down the stretch. Losses to Notre Dame and South Carolina cost them a chance at the College Football Playoff. Still, a chance at an ACC Title and an Orange Bowl berth was on the line.

Uiagalelei struggled against North Carolina in that 2022 ACC Championship game. It ended up being his last game with the Tigers. Dabo Swinney benched Uiagalelei after the quarterback tossed his second interception of the game. True freshman Cade Klubnik stepped in and led Clemson to a 39-10 victory.

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