Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is yet another big name QB heading to the NCAA transfer portal. Uiagalelei was benched in the ACC Championship Game after two poor drives, and backup Cade Klubnik took over to lead the Tigers to the win. Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney had been under pressure to switch to Klubnik after Uiagalelei’s struggles this season. He finally seems to have made the switch for good, and DJ will be looking to move on. He joins an already stacked transfer portal. However, Uiagalelei is probably the highest profile player in college football to enter the portal so far this season.
It’s Klubnik’s Clemson now
When DJ Uiagalelei exited the game after two drives against North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game in favor of Cade Klubnik, little did Clemson fans know that would likely be the last time they would see their QB in action. While it seems likely the quarterback position at Death Valley is Klubnik’s, DJ’s future remains uncertain. On Monday evening Uiagalelei announced that he would be entering the transfer portal, likely signaling the end of his time at Clemson.
“God has brought me to this special place for a reason and I woudn’t trade my time here for anything,” Uiagalelei said on Twitter. “I am very thankful and appreciative of the staff, trainers and my coaches for believing in me and pushing me every day to be the best I can both on and off the field.
“After careful consideration I would like to say that I have decided to enter the transfer portal.”
Forever Thankful 🧡💜 pic.twitter.com/EVgNLBvKAj
— DJ Uiagalelei (@DJUiagalelei) December 5, 2022
Uiagalelei has underwhelmed in his time with the Tigers. In his three years with the program, he completed under 60 percent of his passes, throwing for 5,681 yards, 36 TDs and 17 interceptions. His QBR during that time was a lowly 125.1.
Coming out of high school, Uiagalelei received 30 offers from schools such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, and Texas A&M. He was ESPN’s number one quarterback in the class of 2020, so schools might think his ceiling is a lot higher than we have currently seen from the California native. Regardless, he will definitely be drawing the attention of many schools looking for a new signal-caller.
Uiagalelei joins the likes of Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders, Texas Longhorns’ Hudson Card, and UVA’s Brennan Armstrong seeking new schools in the portal.
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