Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney believes quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is a major reason why the team is off to its first 2-0 start since the 2020 season after defeating the Furman Paladins, 35-12, on Saturday.
“DJ has played with a lot of toughness. What you saw out there is what he’s shown in practice. Been better around him but he’s been better,” Swinney said.
Uiagalelei threw for 231 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the victory against Furman. He also completed 77.8% of his passes.
Uiagalelei was once a four-star prospect coming out of St. John Bosco High School. He was the third-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2020 behind Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Texas quarterback Hudson Card. Uiagalelei was seen as the eventual successor to former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who went on to become the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Going into his junior season, Uiagalelei had a lot to prove. He showed flashes of greatness in his freshman season throwing for 914 passing yards and five touchdowns. With Lawrence off to the NFL, Uiagalelei finally got his chance to start during his sophomore season.
Unfortunately, the results were lackluster. Clemson went 10-3 but finished 3rd in the ACC Atlantic division. Uiagalelei threw for 2,246 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Uiagalelei had to have a big season to fend off incoming freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik and get back on NFL radars. It finally looks like he has turned the corner but this is a long season and a lot can happen.
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