Why QB ended up at Florida State

Within the age of the school soccer switch portal, a participant’s profession can really feel prefer it spanned throughout a number of lifetimes, even when it has solely been the customary 4 or 5 years.

Look no additional than DJ Uiagalelei for an instance of that pattern.

The quarterback has had a number of totally different careers and narrative arcs neatly compressed right into a five-year window.

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The No. 10 nationwide recruit within the 2020 class — per 247Sports’ Composite rankings — appeared destined to turn out to be the following nice Clemson quarterback, following within the footsteps of Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson. After issues didn’t go fairly as deliberate with the Tigers, he sought redemption at Oregon State, the place he piloted a workforce that spent a lot of the 2023 season within the high 25.

Now, he’s again within the ACC, the place he’s hoping to assist Florida State and Mike Norvell construct on the resounding success of final season.

However how, precisely, did Uiagalelei wind up with the Seminoles? Right here’s what you must find out about Uiagalelei’s transfer, why it occurred and the way he acquired up to now:

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Why did DJ Uiagalelei switch to Florida State?

After an uneven profession at Clemson, Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State forward of the 2023 season. As soon as within the Pacific Northwest, he threw for a career-best 2,638 yards, in addition to 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He additionally helped the Beavers go 8-5 whereas competing in a deep and proficient Pac-12. It was simply the second time since 2013 this system had completed with greater than seven wins.

Following the season, nonetheless, Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith left to turn out to be the brand new head coach at Michigan State, prompting Uiagalelei to look elsewhere to complete his school profession.

Instantly, he turned one of the sought-after gamers within the portal: a former five-star recruit with 4 years of major-college expertise at successful applications. On Jan. 1, about one month after he entered the portal, Uiagalelei introduced he was transferring to Florida State.

Although he was linked to a number of faculties throughout his second go-around within the portal, most notably Louisville and Mississippi State, he has been adamant he solely had one goal in his seek for a brand new house.

“Going by the method once more, being within the switch portal, my eyes had been set on one college,” Uiagalelei informed reporters final winter. “I wished to be right here at Florida State. And that is the spot I wished to be in.”

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Uiagalelei’s three years at Clemson overlapped with Norvell’s first three years with the Seminoles, a time by which he acquired an up-close have a look at Florida State’s enchancment and the best way this system operated. In Norvell’s offense, he noticed a match for his ability set.

“Florida State’s offense performs to my strengths,” Uiagalelei informed ESPN shortly after his dedication. “They push the ball down the sphere. They are going to take deep photographs. They’ve playmakers throughout there. Coach Norvell does an unbelievable job scheming for opponents. He is a man that is a wise soccer thoughts.”

The Seminoles additionally acquired an help from their quarterback on the time, Jordan Travis, who had transferred into this system himself and blossomed, providing him a singular and persuasive perspective when speaking with Uiagalelei. Particularly, a narrative about the best way the coaches reacted to a three-game dropping streak in 2022 resonated with the Oregon State switch.

“They requested, ‘How are you doing as an individual?’ They stated, ‘I am right here for you, not simply as a coach, but additionally as a buddy,’” Uiagalelei stated to ESPN. “That is one thing that I worth and had at Oregon State with Coach Smith and Coach (Brian) Lindgren. … Clearly they’re about the best stuff.”

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Why did DJ Uiagalelei depart Clemson?

Even past his lofty recruiting rating, Uiagalelei gave the impression to be well-positioned for fulfillment at Clemson.

As a real freshman in 2020, he crammed in admirably for Lawrence in a number of video games, most memorably a street matchup towards a top-five Notre Dame workforce by which he threw for 439 yards and had three whole touchdowns. As soon as Lawrence was off to the NFL, Uiagalelei entered the 2021 marketing campaign among the many betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.

Actuality didn’t meet these expectations.

He struggled as a sophomore in 2021, finishing solely 55.6% of his passes with 9 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He threw for greater than 200 yards in solely 4 of Clemson’s 13 video games and by no means eclipsed 241 yards.

The 2022 season was extra fruitful for Uiagalelei. His accuracy improved, together with his completion share leaping to 61.9%, and he was a extra productive, much less mistake-prone passer, throwing for 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. By the tip of the season, nonetheless, and after finishing 8 of 29 passes within the Tigers’ first loss to rival South Carolina in almost a decade, Uiagalelei was benched in favor of Cade Klubnik, a five-star freshman.

Between dropping his beginning job and what he deemed to be an unimaginative Clemson offense that didn’t play to his strengths — he described the Tigers’ scheme as “very primary” to The Athletic — Uiagalelei entered the switch portal after the 2022 season. The southern California native ended up at Oregon State to play for Smith, who’s thought to be one of many high offensive minds within the sport.

“I talked to my offensive coordinator (Brandon Streeter, who was fired after the season), ‘We’ve gotta repair some stuff; like now we have to do one thing that matches me otherwise,’” Uiagalelei informed The Athletic in April 2023. “I didn’t wish to run as a lot. I acquired bored with working the ball. Sophomore yr, I used to be harm, tore my PCL, had a damaged finger. However I wished to remain there and stick it out. However my junior yr, in the direction of the tip, I knew, ‘I wish to get out of right here. Yeah, I want to go away and get a contemporary begin.’”

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DJ Uiagalelei stats

Uiagalelei has had a little bit of an up-and-down school profession, starting from his brilliance as a freshman to his horrific sophomore marketing campaign by which he confirmed few, if any, indicators of his immense promise.

Over the previous two seasons, he has stabilized, taking part in far more successfully whereas nonetheless not fairly reaching the lofty heights so many anticipated of him early in his profession. At Florida State, he’ll look to cap off his school profession on an emphatic word.