Uiagalelei starting to feel more comfortable as the starter

Uiagalelei reacts after scoring a first quarter touchdown.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Sep 15 14:04:36 GMT-04:00 2021

CLEMSON – Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei admitted last Saturday that there is a little more pressure as the starter than there is as a backup, but he also said he’s starting to get comfortable in his new role.

Uiagalelei took a step forward in that process in the 49-3 victory over SC State, completing 14-of-24 passes for 171 yards a touchdown and an interception. He added five rushes for 23 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.

"I feel good. This felt good to be able to play back in the stadium. Felt good to be able to respond. Have a great week of preparation,” Uiagalelei said. “I just wanted to come back out and play with a little bit of fire. I feel like I left a lot of stuff out there on the table against Georgia. I just wanted to come out and just prove things to myself and just come out and just play a great game. I feel like I did a pretty good job. Still, a lot of stuff to work on. Definitely keep growing from the game-- just continue to keep getting better and better and better.”

Uiagalelei was stellar in relief of starter Trevor Lawrence last season, leading the Tigers to a comeback win over Boston College and throwing for over 400 yards in a close loss at Notre Dame. However, there is a difference in being the starter and a backup.

“The difference is I knew last year I was the backup. I knew Trevor was the starter and I might come in the game later or get in the game if Trevor's helmet came off or his cleat broke or something,” Uiagalelei said. “The difference is now I know I'm going to come out for snap one. It's not really a different mindset but it's just knowing that I'm going to walk out there first.”

Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott was pleased with Uiagalelei’s progression from week one to week two.

“Overall, I thought he had a better pocket presence this week than he did the previous week and so that’s all were asking him to do is get better every week,” Elliott said Monday. “There are some footwork things that he has to work on, especially on the move making sure that he’s following through on his throw and not leaning away, coach Streeter and him will work on that. But I’ll say this about DJ man, he improved especially in the pocket.”

Elliott also knows that Uiagalelei will go through some growing pains.

“I think everybody especially inside the program, but a lot of people who have seen him play, understand how talented this young man is,” Elliott said. “But also it’s what his fourth game starting? He’s got to go through some growing pains so to speak.”

Uiagalelei knows he has to stay focused from the first snap to the last.

"I mean on the screen overthrew Joe Ngata right there-- pick-- dumb mistake. Just make sure I'm locked in right there and just be able to focus in on every single little detail and just not let my head go somewhere,” he said. “Make the easy play. It's not given right there and in a big-time game that could be a game-changer. So just got to continue to be locked in to make the easy plays and to make all the hard plays too."

Elliott said it isn’t fair to compare Uiagalelei to Lawrence or Deshaun Watson because fans tend to only remember the ends of those stellar careers.

“And in fairness to him sometimes he gets compared to a guy that was here for several years and gets compared to him at the end of his career and that’s tough on a young guy,” Elliott said. “DJ is made of the right stuff and his ceiling is extremely high but you have to take steps to get to your ceiling, to be able to play consistently towards the top of your potential.”