Dabo Swinney: DJ Uiagalelei is noticeably faster

 Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had a goal this offseason to lose weight and he accomplished just that by dropping 20-25 pounds. Uiagalelei expressed his struggle with giving up sweets at ACC Kickoff, but according to head coach Dabo Swinney, his body transformation has led to him making some sweet plays during fall camp.

“He’s been really good, first of all he’s faster. He’s made several plays with his feet that I don’t think he would’ve made last year, it’s been very noticeable. But he’s been confident, he understands, he’s a high football IQ guy, he really understands where to go with the ball. You can tell he’s worked really hard, he’s very conscientious of his fundamentals and he’s hard on himself, hates himself everyday, he’s been good,” Swinney said.

Uiagalelei didn’t have the best sophomore season last year, throwing for just nine touchdowns and ten interceptions to go along with them. The Tigers offense was decimated health-wise throughout the season, with constant injuries to his offensive line as well as his weapons in the backfield and out wide. Uiagalelei was just one of four offensive and defensive players to start every single game for the Tigers last season, as they’re hoping for better fortune in the injury department this year.

Less injuries this season and their younger players getting some experience last season should help the Tigers offense significantly in 2022, but so can Uiagalelei adding more of a dual-threat element to his game. Uiagalelei rushed for 308 yards and four touchdowns last season, and if he can increase his output with his new slimmed down frame, the Tigers offense could be far more dynamic this season.

Dabo Swinney addresses difference in Cade Klubnik from spring to now

DJ Uiagalelei will most likely be the week one starter for the Clemson Tigersthis season, but freshman backup quarterback Cade Klubnik has been making major improvements according to head coach Dabo Swinney. 

“Just more confident, more knowledgeable. Third time getting the installation and you can tell he’s obviously put in a ton of work on his own, which doesn’t surprise you, it’s kind of how he’s wired, he’s a little football junkie type guy. A really good leader, it’s just slowed down a little bit more for him, knows right where to go with the ball and when he makes mistakes he can process it right away. As we said the other day he’s the best we’ve seen him, the best version of him, so he’s done what we’ve asked him to do, Swinney said.

Klubnik is a 5-star recruit out of Westlake in Austin, Texas that was ranked the No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class according to On3 Consensus. Swinney has already strongly endorsed Uiagalelei as the starter for this season, despite him not having a stellar 2021 season by any means. A healthier roster should surely help this time around, but if Uiagalelei doesn’t elevate his play during the season and lead Clemson to victories, there will likely be murmurs of giving Klubnik a chance under center. 

Klubnik is likely the quarterback of the future for Clemson, but for now he will continue to develop and push Uiagalelei through healthy competition during fall camp.