Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei transferring to Oregon State as five-star prospect attempts to reset career

DJ Uiagalelei is popping within the orange and purple of Clemson for the orange and black of Oregon State. Uiagalelei on Saturday dedicated to affix the Beavers out of the switch portal for the 2023 season after a profession that didn’t go as anticipated with the Tigers.

Uiagalelei, a five-star prospect within the Class of 2020, was benched for Cade Klubnik throughout Clemson’s ACC Championship Recreation victory over North Carolina. He entered the switch portal two days later. This after Uiagalelei was pulled throughout quite a lot of video games all through the season as Clemson’s offense persistently struggled to seek out its footing.

There had been hypothesis that Uiagalelei would switch to UCLA, Washington or Oregon late within the season, however Washington and Oregon noticed Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix return for 2023, and Kent State’s Collin Schlee transferred to UCLA. There was even some hypothesis — together with a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction earlier within the week — that Uiagalelei would find yourself at Hawaii.

As a substitute, it is one other Pac-12 program that may look to assist the previous five-star prospect dwell as much as his potential. Uiagalelei’s resolution will come simply days after his brother, five-star 2023 EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei, dedicated to rival Oregon on Nationwide Signing Day.

Finest transfer for all events

The No. 10 participant within the 2020 class, Uiagalelei was anticipated to be the following famous person QB for Clemson, following within the footsteps of Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence. He didn’t dwell as much as the hype. By two seasons with the Tigers as a starter, DJU struggled to seek out consistency as a passer. He accomplished solely 59.8% of his passes for six.6 yards per try, and he completed the 2021 season with extra interceptions (10) than passing touchdowns (9). Whereas he rebounded in 2022 with 22 touchdowns and solely seven interceptions, the hypothesis of probably being changed by Klubnik in 2023 appeared to weigh on him late within the season. He accomplished solely 10 of 34 makes an attempt over his remaining two video games.

Now, Uiagalelei will get a recent begin within the Pac-12 with the Beavers. He’ll be enjoying in the identical state as one other switch quarterback who wanted a recent begin out West and located one in Bo Nix out of Auburn. In the meantime, Clemson can transfer on to Klubnik. Many Clemson followers will argue that Dabo Swinney waited too lengthy to make the transfer, and it is attainable that if Uiagalelei had returned in 2023, he’d nonetheless be the starter and the Tigers would’ve risked shedding Klubnik to the switch portal.

DJU is an improve for Oregon State

Whereas Uiagalelei is unlikely to ever dwell as much as the hype surrounding him out of highschool, it is not as if he is not a gifted participant. Now he’ll be enjoying in an offense beneath Jonathan Smith that, frankly, is healthier outfitted to benefit from his abilities. Whereas Uiagalelei did himself no favors at Clemson, the Tigers’ scheme deserved a substantial share of the blame, too.

At Oregon State, Uiagalelei joins a group that went 10-3 this season regardless of shedding beginning QB Probability Nolan to an harm 5 video games into the season. Nolan was changed by Ben Gulbranson, who carried out admirably however was not a difference-maker Uiagalelei might be.

Pac-12 is deep at QB league

Now, loads of folks — myself included — had been saying the identical factor concerning the ACC in 2022, and we noticed how that labored out for Uiagalelei, Clemson and the convention as a complete. Nonetheless, the Pac-12 could have reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams again subsequent season. Nix is again at Oregon, and Penix is at Washington. Schlee is not a family identify, however he put up massive numbers at Kent State, and the Bruins even have a five-star freshman in Dante Moore coming to Brentwood.

Add Uiagalelei to the combination — with Cam Ward at Washington State, Jayden de Laura at Arizona, Drew Pyne at Arizona State and Sheduer Sanders at Colorado — and the Pac-12 appears to have some appreciable QB depth.