DJ Uiagalelei, a two-year starter at Clemson and the former No. 1 pro-style quarterback recruit in the country, is reportedly entering the transfer portal.
Chris Hummer of 247Sports initially reported the news, citing sources close to the situation. Uiagalelei struggled in each of the last two seasons, particularly in 2022, prompting Tigers coach Dabo Swinney to periodically pull him in favor of backup Cade Klubnik.
Swinney regardless stuck with Uiagalelei as his starter before ultimately pulling him one final time in Saturday’s ACC championship game against North Carolina. Uiagalelei went 2 for 5 passing for 10 yards before getting benched for Klubnik, who completed 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and a score in the 39-10 win.
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Speaking after the game, Swinney said the Tigers will play Klubnik as the starter for the remainder of the season, which will conclude in the Orange Bowl against Tennessee.
“Moving forward, Cade will be the starter going in, and DJ will be the backup,” Swinney told reporters. “We’ll keep moving forward, and I’m sure there will be plenty of conversations — (Uiagalelei) graduates in a week or so, so he’s got a bright future. He’s got a bright future.
“Obviously, it didn’t end tonight the way he would like, but he’s got a bright, bright future as a football player.”
If Uiagalelei ultimately decides to transfer and seek a fresh start, he will finish his Clemson career completing 515 of 861 passes (59.8 percent) for 5,681 yards and 36 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. He also has 275 rushes for 913 yards (3.3 yards per carry) and 15 more scores.
Uiagalelei will have more than a few options to choose from in the transfer portal, even after his struggles this season. 247Sports indicated one factor to consider in his transfer is where his younger brother, Matayo Uiagalelei, decides to play football. The younger Uiagalelei is the No. 10 overall player in the class per 247Sports’ Composite rankings and has taken visits to Oregon, USC and Ohio State.
With that, The Sporting News looks at several potential destinations for the Clemson quarterback:
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DJ Uiagalelei transfer portal destinations
UCLA
UCLA should be among the favored teams to land Uiagalelei. It’s a 30-minute drive from his hometown of Bellflower, Calif., where he became one of the nation’s top high school players at powerhouse St. John Bosco. The Bruins also have an impressive offensive system in place under Chip Kelly — one that will feature a vacancy at quarterback next year.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson will have concluded his collegiate career after returning for a super-senior season in Los Angeles in 2022. He ran the Bruins’ offense with explosive efficiency in 2022, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,883 yards and 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He also ran 112 times for 631 yards and another score.
Uiagalelei could be a natural plug-and-play option for Kelly in that offense. Moreover, he could follow the example set by USC’s Caleb Williams, whose transfer to USC from Oklahoma has been a massive success.
Oregon
Oregon was among the finalists to land Uiagalelei out of high school, and would allow him to return to the West Coast. The Ducks have experienced success in the transfer portal with former Auburn signal-caller Bo Nix, who stepped his game up in Eugene to become a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate.
But Nix is undecided on whether he will return for a final season of play in 2023, and it’s unlikely Uiagalelei would unseat him as a starter. That said, the Ducks don’t have a clear successor to Nix should he leave. If he ultimately tests the NFL, Uiagalelei could step in to challenge for the starting position.
Oregon also has the unique advantage of being the only school that Matayo Uiagalelei has visited that doesn’t have a clear quarterback of the future. USC has Caleb Williams for at least the 2023 season, while Ohio State may get C.J. Stroud back for the 2023 season after somewhat of a letdown campaign this year.
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Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish were a surprising victim of the transfer portal after Drew Pyne announced his decision to leave the program. He went 8-2 as a starter for the Fighting Irish, bringing into question why he thought to leave one of the country’s premier programs.
Regardless, Marcus Freeman has seen Uiagalelei in action up close this season: His Fighting Irish limited him to a 27-of-39 passing day for 279 yards and one touchdown to one interception in a 35-14 win over Clemson.
If the Clemson signal-caller considers Notre Dame, he would likely compete with Tyler Buchner for the starting position. The latter was tabbed as the starter after a ho-hum 2021 season, but lasted only two games before he was lost for the season with an AC strain to his non-throwing shoulder vs. Marshall.
Buchner’s recovery from that injury will be worth watching, but Uiagalelei doubtless has more athletic upside than the incumbent starter in South Bend.
Florida
The Gators could potentially be a dark horse candidate to land Uiagalelei. Their offense runs through quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose dual-threat capability has allowed him to attack defenses through the air (2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns to nine interceptions) and on the ground (654 yards, nine touchdowns) in 2022.
Like Nix at Oregon, Richardson — a redshirt sophomore — must decide whether to return for another season in Gainesville, Fla. If he leaves for the NFL, it leaves a gap in the Gators’ quarterback room after the dismissal of backup Jalen Kitna.
The chance to compete and, potentially, thrive against SEC competition would likely be a huge boost to Uiagalelei’s NFL draft stock. He also runs the risk of struggling further, however.
Miami
Another dark horse candidate, Miami’s potential to land Uiagalelei hinges on the fact current Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal recruited him while at Oregon in 2020. More importantly, the team has no obvious choice at quarterback.
Tyler Van Dyke would be Uiagalelei’s toughest competition in Miami, but had a letdown season in 2022 following an impressive campaign the year prior, (160 of 253 passing, 63.2 completion percentage, 1,835 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions). Jake Garcia and Jacurri Brown combined to complete 95 of 160 passes (59.3 percent) for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns to seven interceptions.
This move would also allow Uiagalelei to remain in the ACC, where he could play against his former team as early as the 2023 season. A chance to get back at his old team is likely not a significant factor, however, in where Uiagalelei chooses to transfer.
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