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TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021
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TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 8:00 AM

 
Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021

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C minus?? Dang, wish TigerNet was one of my Professors at CU


Jan 7, 2022, 8:06 AM

I'd have over a 4.0 GPA.

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Re: C minus?? Dang, wish TigerNet was one of my Professors at CU


Jan 7, 2022, 9:09 AM

Yeah. With a curve like that they would rival UNCheat classes.

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Riiight?!?***


Jan 7, 2022, 10:15 AM [ in reply to C minus?? Dang, wish TigerNet was one of my Professors at CU ]



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Re: C minus?? Dang, wish TigerNet was one of my Professors at CU


Jan 8, 2022, 7:36 AM [ in reply to C minus?? Dang, wish TigerNet was one of my Professors at CU ]

Ranked 14 in a weak ACC and didn’t break the top 100 in CFB. ‘Nuff said…but go ahead and make the excuses. How confident would you be with him as our starting QB next year?

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Re: C minus?? Dang, wish TigerNet was one of my Professors at CU


Jan 8, 2022, 12:58 PM

He finished rated 146 out of 150. He's awful and has absolutely no future as a qb. I'm not sure what anyone sees in him. Worst qb we have had statistically in over 35 years. Just awful.

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Your reading comprehension skills are suspect


Jan 8, 2022, 1:24 PM [ in reply to Re: C minus?? Dang, wish TigerNet was one of my Professors at CU ]

W T F are you talking about?

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Re: Your reading comprehension skills are suspect


Jan 14, 2022, 10:01 AM

If DJ starts next year and doesn’t perform , he will get the ol’ kelly bryant treatment

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 8:11 AM

Wait...

Our WRs had the most drops in the ACC and ranked 115th in drop percentage? Injuries plagued that position. Injuries hurting our already mediocre offensive line. Injured RBs, that were only freshmen. And DJ finished the season with two true freshmen and Will Swinney in the slot?

Why was he so much worse this year? I can't figure it out.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:01 AM

I should have read your reply before making my own. Just amazing how the QB is always at fault, always.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:19 AM

There were so many big drops in crucial moments too. Ross dropped a TD against NC State. Shipley dropped a TD against Pitt. We dropped several that would have been first downs as well. We never did get a legitimate threat in the slot. We never had a threat in the screen game. All of our RBs were freshmen. Our offensive line is mediocre and even they were plagued with injuries.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:43 AM

Even if every WR caught every single ball, he still would've had the worst passing completion % since Cole Stoudt in 2014.

Yes, the WR sucked, but DJ was horrible. TNet just didn't give him a worse grade because this is the only position where you're talking about 1 person and not an entire group and David Hood and his team don't want to anger any players lest they jeopardize interview availability.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:51 AM

Rewatch the BC and ND games from last year. DJ had accuracy issues then too. I can recall several instances where Amari and Cornell had to dive and extend for passes that DJ threw against BC. I can recall Etienne making a phenomenal catch on a poorly thrown pass against ND.

The difference is that we had Etienne and a better offensive line that defenses had to respect. They didn't respect our RB at the beginning of the season. DJ had Etienne as a security blanket in the passing game, but Pace and Shipley didn't provide that this year. Amari and Cornell graded out 79 and 75 respectively, while every WR not named Justyn Ross was in the 50s and 60s this year. Coupled with the most drops in the conference.

Maybe QBs need great players around them to elevate their game. I don't know though. How's Trevor's rookie year comparing to Deshaun's rookie year? One of them has no help, while the other one did.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 11:04 AM

Cole Stoudts numbers were slightly better than DJ's in 2014 and the offense couldn't move the ball, yet when Deshaun was healthy and played he set records. Deshaun or Trevor on this year's team wins the ACC and likely makes the playoffs. DJ would have been benched at every other P5 school other than Clemson.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 2:06 PM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

This is the best and simplest response to folks wanting to make excuses. It should be pinned like these advertisements at the top of the boards. This one, and the one about Stoudt handing better numbers than DJ, then DW coming in and setting records with the same team.
Not saying it’s all on DJ, but it is pretty #### close. As a former player that isn’t a QB, it is absolutely deflating going into games with a bad QB. People get hurt, people don’t focus, it’s an entirely different team.

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Yes there were a lot of problems.


Jan 7, 2022, 12:27 PM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

But you people simply don’t understand football and also don’t like criticizing Clemson players even when they deserve to be criticized.

Despite the fact that he was heavily praised last year there were obvious issues in his game. He struggled to hand the ball off to ETN. He rarely looks away from the primary receiver. He is not nearly as accurate as advertised. He’s terrible running the ball. He looks slow and sluggish. He cannot run The RPO which is our primary office. He’s even terrible doing a simple basic pitch sweep. There are a lot of flaws in his game and he simply is not able to either process the game fast enough or he struggling under the pressure.

There are lots of quarterbacks in the NFL that are great coming off the #####, but they suck when they are the starter. Why? They can’t handle the pressure. Part of that is DJs problem. But he also simply doesn’t have the skill set to be an elite quarterback at this level. And people that understand the game of football recognize that and many have said so!

Go back and rewatch our games. Listen to what announcers that played quarterback in college or the NFL say about DJ. They are highly critical of his play. Critical in ways that don’t have a lot to do with the bigger team issues.

Lots of highly recruited kids don’t make it at the elite level. Just like many number one and top 10 draft picks become total flops in the NFL.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 14, 2022, 10:05 AM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

Offensive line sucked . Play calls questionable , lack of talent at wide reciever . Overall bad year move on . Fix it Dabo

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I think that's our ranking in adjusted completion %


Jan 7, 2022, 9:07 AM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

and not drops, but it's not very clear.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:49 AM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

I think all mental - just the difference in coming in as a backup vs being "the guy!" Every QB at a major school has a sports psychologist - he needs a better one to get his head right. He has the physical skills. On the other hand, people forget he gave up a TD or a near-TD on bad turnovers bouncing the ball off ETN's chest in BOTH games he played in 2020 so in Fantasy Football terms he has been quite productive for the DST all of his career so far!
I guess with the expected major increase in pressure from Klubnik coming in, he will either rise to the occasion or hit the portal by April. I didn't think that TP really got a chance to but I wasn't at practice either so maybe he did and we just had no other option this year. It's difficult with the Portal to be where we were a few years ago when Dabo said we had three QB's we could win the ACC with- BUT you have to have more than one somehow!

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 1:59 PM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

Give me the Collins’ twins abilities over DJ any day of the week. Just like Nuk in his time at Clemson, they have much room to grow and are both more talented than the QB position. And for that matter, more talented than Ladson and others.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 2:24 PM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

LT - appreciate your attempt to be fair and support DJ. I just do no see it your way although I believe TE and Street share the responsibility. But let’s not throw every other player on the team under the bus to protect DJ. Yes the O-line was a D and the receivers were a C-. But the WRs (i.e. JR) will not put their health and butts on the line when the QB cannot audible into the right call or position the pass where the receiver will not get killed.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 8:33 AM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

Some fair points, but did you watch his mechanics, decision-making, and accuracy? That may have helped figure out the rest of the picture.

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I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.


Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 12:53 PM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

I love DJ & I will be his biggest fan for a comeback but he threw passes that set his WR’s up for horrible hits when he should have thrown the ball away or went elsewhere over & over again. His passes were rocket hard or behind the wr’s many times too. They heard footsteps after a few hard hits.

DJ hurt himself in many cases, he did improve as the season progressed but the damage had been done the first 4-5 games.

All young QB’s struggle but DJ never looked like he did in 2020. I believe his parents separating was a big part of his not being able to look through his progressions. I think it took a toll on him. Must of us who have went through tough seasons when we were young can relate.

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We keep getting better & better everyday, in every way!
“The only disability is a bad Attitude” Dabo Swinney!!
Let’s Go Tigers!


Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 8:17 AM

Don't know if it could be called a bounce back. He only had a couple of games before this season which was hardly enough to evaluate his ability.

A better headline: DJ Uiagalelei desperately seeking retain his starting position after a dismal performance in 2021.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 14, 2022, 10:10 AM

Plenty of qb’s in college didn’t have alot of games under their belt this year . And shined

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 8:59 AM

He did have a rough year, but it's always amazed me how fans seem to miss all the perfectly thrown balls that were right in the hands of a receiver that were just flat out dropped. Amazing how the QB is always at fault about that.

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Those drops are acknowledged and accounted for in that stat


Jan 7, 2022, 9:08 AM

graphic.

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10 wins for team = B+ grade. C- seems about right for DJ ..


Jan 7, 2022, 9:07 AM

Many want to give DJ an “F”, but the team doesn’t win 10 games this year without DJ.

He had a ton of issues, but he also played through injuries and produced a lot of good plays along with the bad.

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Re: 10 wins for team = B+ grade. C- seems about right for DJ ..


Jan 7, 2022, 9:44 AM

Uhhhh which games do we lose with another QB that we ended up winning? Dude threw for 9 TDs

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Which “other” QB are you referring to?


Jan 7, 2022, 6:54 PM

If you mean Taisun, or our walk-on, then you could probably choose any of our close wins and reverse the score.

DJ was the best we had available.

He wasn’t an A+ ... he was a C-

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:09 AM

I never understood why we cannot change QBs stats for incompletions vs. drops? People will say it’s too subjective but they do it in baseball with a hit vs. an error? Or a passed ball instead of a wild pitch?? There were plenty of times DJ made a great throw and a WR just flat out didn’t do his job. I know it’s tough to pick on Ross due to the fact that it was a miracle he could even play but wow was he terrible this year? I mean awful. I’ll be shocked if he goes higher than third or fourth round. His play was marred by bad route running, taking plays off and dropped balls.

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That's basically what adjusted completion % is***


Jan 7, 2022, 9:16 AM



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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:26 AM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

But even with the poor play of the WR and the injuries, DJ was terrible? His mechanics all season were awful. If fans are honest he looked shaky in the spring game. He was terrible in that game. He always had happy feet in the pocket. He threw flat footed, he stared down his receivers like it was his job, he made poor decision after poor decision but the huge thing for me is that he never took on the role of the leader of this team. He wasn’t the guy? He didn’t inspire the team. The guy had a shovel pass picked off? When have you ever seen that. I know there were a lot of plays that a WR didn’t make the okay. Ross should’ve caught two balls for TD’s in OT against nc state, I think it was Ngata that dropped a gorgeous third down pass at the one against BC that would’ve iced the game. Shipley dropped quite a few balls but none as big as the sure thing TD against Pitt. That being said, how many times did DJ fumble, take a sack, or throw a pick that made you scratch your head. Look at the bowl game? The ouck he threw was disgraceful. But he should’ve had at least two or three more that night. His mistakes always came at the most crucial points in games and they cost us. His awful play against Pitt and nc state cost us those games. Against UGA he was the difference!!! Sadly this team, had they had a mediocre qB, should have finished the season 13-0 and been playing in the CFP. Outstanding play from our QB was not the reason for one single win, but poor QB play was definitely the reason for our three losses. A C- is just being nice trying to keep the fragile ego of the kid from breaking and having him enter the transfer portal. The week before our fifth game he’ll enter the portal.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:57 AM

Interestingly enough DJ's play did not improve until both NGata and Ross were not playing.

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very fair assessment***


Jan 7, 2022, 11:58 AM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]



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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 3:13 PM [ in reply to Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021 ]

You don't know what throwing mechanics even are, dude.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:42 AM

Around twice the % of drops of the last few years, inexperienced offensive linemen and a different set of receivers each game make any metrics worthless. The 2 games last year have absolutely nothing to do with this year and everyone should be honest and realize that.

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I'm not going to bash anyone but this was way to generous.***


Jan 7, 2022, 9:59 AM



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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 9:59 AM

No Clemson QB should ever be below 67% completion with the amount of screens and swing passes we threw this year.

Air yards per attempt (AY/A) the last 6 years:

2015 (DW) - 8.6
2016 (DW) - 8.0
2017 (KB) - 6.8
2018 (TL) - 9.3
2019 (TL) - 9.9
2020 (TL) - 10.2

2021 (DU) - 5.3


One of these things is not like the others

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Is AY/A air yards or adjusted yards?


Jan 7, 2022, 10:38 AM

I thought it was the latter.

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Re: Is AY/A air yards or adjusted yards?


Jan 7, 2022, 12:04 PM

Well jeez, you're right! I always thought it was air yards/attempt, but that's a different stat. Unfortunately they don't keep that for CFB, only NFL.

Mind blown

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 10:04 AM

It would be interesting to see what percentage of ball he threw were uncatchable. Drops are one thing, not being close enough for the receiver to catch it is another. Combine the two and you see the results. There is really no excuse for not being able to hit a receiver, on the bubble screens, or a running back while still in the backfield.

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Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik


Jan 7, 2022, 10:04 AM

a run for his money. It would make both of them better, and we could have 2 systems to throw at opponents confusing them mightily. If one is not moving the ball, put the other in...

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Re: Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik


Jan 7, 2022, 10:53 AM

I have previously written here on tnet just about everything that is posted about this article and my % is lower than big stinko's grade. So, either my fellow tnetters are just catching up with me or some of you are butt hurt about me calling him big Stinko. Either way, idgaf. I was right 100% down the line.

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Re: Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik


Jan 7, 2022, 11:34 AM

Calling him names is still childish in your part. Regardless of stats.

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Re: Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik


Jan 7, 2022, 11:58 AM

Wasn't being childish one of the criteria for tnet being ranked #1 fan site?

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Re: Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik


Jan 7, 2022, 12:10 PM

Besides, what part of idgaf didn't you understand? We were inundated with 5 star this and NIL that for months. Heisman frontrunner to preseason top 3 by all accounts. Big Stinko is quite tame in my not so humble opinion.

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Re: Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik


Jan 8, 2022, 7:13 AM

There's no denying all that hype and praise was heaped on him by our press, coaches, and outside media.

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Re: Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik***


Jan 15, 2022, 10:40 AM [ in reply to Re: Do wish he would return to earlier form, and give Klubnik ]



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That is the most F i have seen my Thermodynamics class***


Jan 7, 2022, 10:46 AM



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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 11:18 AM

People discount drops as not being the fault of the QB.

A panicked QB throws the ball too hard and does not have a right touch, so the pass gets dropped. Mac Jones has shown what having the right touch has in his professional debut. Highest completion percentage of the NFL rookies. Joe Burrow is another with the highest completion percentage this year..excellent touch and placement on the ball. The QB could be smacking them right in the numbers but if he throws with smoke coming off the ball alot recievers are going to miss it. Especially when they are off balance.

Obviously it is not always the case, but it certainly is a factor in dropped passes.

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You are so correct...and the short passes that were below


Jan 8, 2022, 2:38 PM

the receiver's knees, making for a very difficult catch...are those considered drops because the receiver or running back got his hands on it?

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Davy Crockett seeking bounce after rough Alamo.***


Jan 7, 2022, 11:31 AM



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Luke Skywalker trying to grow a new hand.***


Jan 7, 2022, 2:18 PM



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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 11:46 AM

Nice job of doing a sober analysis of 2021's QB performance, Ryan.

Context matters, and the mediocre performance from DJ was amplified downward by the bad WR play.

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RememberTheDanny


Jan 7, 2022, 12:13 PM

Thanks! I appreciate that.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 12:26 PM

I would say a "D" grade. Would be "F" but I'll agree with poor Rec play and inconsistent OL play and injuries.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 12:35 PM

What I was thinking...maybe even D-. Too many easy throws that were missed. And yes, too many drops. Both units stunk this year. Just no way of getting around it. And Oh, the Oline was pretty lousy too. The only O unit that actually worked well, IMHO, was the running backs.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 12:54 PM

This is hilarious. The QBs at Clemson were in the bottom 5% in the country this year even with the adjusted completing percentage. How that is a grade of C is beyond me. There were 114 QBs better than DJ even when drops are accounted for. Also the oline was not great but was much better, especially in the second half of the season, than they are given credit for. They ranked inside the top 25 of 5 of the 9 categories tracked by advanced statistics. Their worst rating was in the 60s for passing down sack rate. They were also 16th in power success rate. A "C" quarterback wins at least one, maybe two more games.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 12:59 PM

Also, Alabama's was much worse than Clemson's line was this year and well you know how their season went

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 7:36 AM

Thanks for these numbers. Did not know that.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 1:19 PM

I've seen a lot of talk in this thread about the drops which is a great point. I also saw a lot of plays this year where a pass was off due to confusion between DJ and the receiver. It's hard as a fan to know on those plays whether the QB expected the wrong route or if the receiver ran the wrong route, but with all the inexperience at receiver I'd think it was more likely the receiver. There's also a lot to be said about a QB getting to know his receivers and knowing what sort of moves they like to take to run off their routes when trying to get open. We had so many injuries at receiver that DJ didn't have much of a chance to develop that rapport with his guys.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 1:21 PM

Our WRs had some dropped balls they should have caught, but everyone pointing to them as the issue with DJ don’t understand what they’re seeing. DJs mechanics are so bad he struggled to consistently get a spiral even when he had time. Our receivers were consistently stretching out and diving for 100mph knuckleballs. His throwing mechanics are more that of a pitcher than a QB.

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Surely the staff would have scrambled if they knew DJ was incapable


Jan 7, 2022, 2:23 PM

That makes me ask the question is he a different QB sunday-friday? Something kept Dabo and Co. believing in DJ. I suspect DJ had issues that were not disclosed...injuries. About 6 games in, I went back and watched BC and ND 2020. In those 2 we rolled him out of the pocket a lot. His accuracy and composure was so much better. Why did we leave him in the pocket in 2021? Mechanically he seemed "mechanical". He looked like a robot. He looked like someone does when you practice a step by step methodical process. Going through each step over emphasizing each step. Step 1 catch Snap. Step 2 1/4 turn, plant rear foot. Step 3 elevate ball to ready position, get shoulders perpendicular to LOS. Step 4 insure step 3 (watch this closely, he freezes for a second). I'm not a QB guru so I know my description of the mechanics are incorrect but I know what I'm seeing in the robot movements. This tells me he's consciously thinking about what he's doing rather than relying on muscle memory.

This is something I do know about. When I was teaching a young soldier cqb/cqc, they consciously think every movement. Square your plates to target, crouch and move with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, head up, move weapon to eye not eye to weapon, move through fatal funnel turn opposite of the man in front of you, rotate safety to semi, weapon to eye, controlled pair, center mass, etc. It's methodical. It's mechanical and early 9n it is slow and robotic. With so much self emphasis on each minute detail you lose your surroundings and forget that as the #2 man in the stack that the breach man kicked the dog poo out of the door. The #1 man went in free and clear but the door hit the stop behind it and will swing back and it knocks slams into them off balance, making them nearly freeze in the fatal funnel with the #3 and #4 man on their butt trying to get through the door.

How do you fix it? Put on the armor, load up your mags, get on the reflexive fire range and practice. Get in the shoot house and do your blank iterations then go through live iterations. When GameDay comes, you aren't perfect but you fight through and get better. If they can't get it right...put them in weapons squad so they are on support by fire outside the building.

I think DJ has all the tools to be successful. Dabo and his staff knew what they were looking at when they saw him and they wouldn't have went after a kid in California, a long shot at best, if they had doubts that he could be the man. They know what they see in practice. They believe in him and think that he could get the job done. I'm just an old, beat up and broke airborne ranger. Dabo is a head coach and a dang great one. His track record tells me he knows what he's doing.

There is something else I saw that is not talked about...effort. I saw a lack of effort in some of our players on offense, recievers especially. I know what I saw and it was more than evident in their blocking. This group gave little effort blocking out on the perimeter. It was terrible and it was almost across the board. Justyn Ross, as much as I love him, was as guilty as any. They all lacked concentration and we saw that with drops, wrong routes, lazy routes, lazy locking, not giving it all to catch a pass that could be made with honest effort. This to me is a leadership problem. That could be a lack from the QB, the WR group, the position coach, qt the top or all of the above. I don't know where it's at but I know that it was lacking. This was a reason I said early on, Shipley should have been used a lot in the slot. Lyn-J would probably have stayed and Shipley's all effort all of the time is infectious. He is a leader and he doesn't care if the others are juniors or seniors, he's going to get out there and make everyone around him better. I think that is what is lacking more than anything.


Message was edited by: clemson man7®

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Re: Surely the staff would have scrambled if they knew DJ was incapable


Jan 8, 2022, 8:04 AM

Thanks for your service #1. 2, this is a well thought out and constructive piece. I saw that Ladson career when he wanted to play that is. Same with ajou. Ross looked a lot like he was going through the motions. Perhaps some was the NIL that DJ received b4 he ever did anything.

I do hold the coaches responsible for having 20 months, now 24 months to work through the issues. Hunter Helms may have laid an egg but he at least should have gotten a chance.

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F***


Jan 7, 2022, 1:46 PM



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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 1:55 PM

DJ needs to see a sports psychologist weekly.

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Grade is an F or D- if grading really nice


Jan 7, 2022, 2:14 PM

DJ had the top talent in ACC and imploded the Offense. The rest is just B.S.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 2:33 PM

Unless you are a coach or have the playbook and the play call you can only speculate on what was "supposed to happen", did DJ throw a bad pass, did the receivers run the right routes, did the O-line do their job, did the RB block who he was supposed to? A drop is a drop no matter but for overall stats the former is certainly a consideration.

We do know on the Ga pick 6 Ross did not run the proper route and DJ delivered a perfect pass to the d-back... Dabo and Elliot both stated that in the post game...

IMHO DJ needs to work on his mechanics in the offseason, footwork vs brute force, he also needs alot of time with the receivers so they get on the same page... receivers need to go get the ball, don't know how many times Ross did not compete for the ball, which was totally different than before he got hurt. I think he did a much better job of going thru progressions as the season went on, he did not stare down the receiver target as much and did not try and force balls as much (not to say he did not do it all, but early it was really bad).

Hopefully everyone get healed in the off season and some of the younger guys bulk up.

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Re: i would suggest


Jan 7, 2022, 4:13 PM

he needs to start practicing now trying to hit a Bull in the Butt from 5 yards out then work off of that.

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I hope he bounces back like a WHAM-O Superball.


Jan 7, 2022, 4:15 PM

Butt, I would have to see that to truly believe that much change is possible.

Either way, we WILL have better QB play next year. If not from DJ, then from CK. So, it'll be OK.

:)

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 4:16 PM

There are certainly excuses to permit DJ to look better than the numbers. However, he would not be the first college QB or player at any position to not live up to his high school scrapbook entries. The same is true at the college-to-NFL level, and that is why the jury is still out on whether Trevor Lawrence is destined for pro stardom or ultimately a back up roll.

With both Trevor and DJ, a less than stellar supporting cast gives cover for mediocrity. 2022 will tell the tale more clearly for DJ than for Trevor, but both are unproven commodities with their current teams.

Because Trevor has college clippings far exceeding his pro performance, and a supporting cast in Jacksonville that is weak, he has more time to prove himself. However, a new Jags coach could easily decide that he quickly needs many players, and that the best (and perhaps only) player who can be traded for several draft picks or players is Trevor. The time to trade him may be right because, should 2022 be as calamitous for Trevor as 2021 has been, he will be worth less on the trading bloc at the end of next year.

Trevor's team affiliation for the coming year will depend largely on whether the Jags' new coaching staff believes he is, or is not, a generational talent.

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As a spot holder I'd give him an A+.


Jan 7, 2022, 4:27 PM

No one came close to convincing our coaching staff that he was a better QB than DJ. Imo, that's all #5 had going for him. Maybe a B as a hander offer.

All round, D-. Cause I can't give anyone an F who played an entire season for Clemson.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 7, 2022, 4:36 PM

Some really good comments all around. All things considered, grade can't be more than a D, which includes TP. How bad must he have been to not have played more with DJ struggling so much. And we won ten games because of the defense and special teams. The running backs were the only bright spot on offense. Hoping for better next year. GO TIGERS!!!!.

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The substitution choices are on Dabo, TE, and Streeter


Jan 8, 2022, 10:43 AM

We don't know how TP would have performed because they were hellbent on leaving DJ in the game. The rare occasions TP did come in, he didn't set the world on fire, but the team seemed to respond to him far better then DJ, but given a single series to play over a handful of games, he never got a chance.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 9:00 AM

Final grade is D. C is average, correct? Was DJ’s QB rating average? Shake your head “no”. So….please dispense with the excuses about receiver injuries, OL issues, etc. every team deals with injuries. Besides, even when he had no rush pressure, he was sailing short passes over the heads of wide open receivers. Let’s just face it, DJ didn’t pan out. I did not need to see the the adjusted pass percentage after drops because I watched the games and I saw the multitude of issues he had (lack of accuracy, lack of mobility or the ability to improvise, indecisiveness, failure to consistently find second or third receivers). We are so very fortunate to have won 10 games. There will not even be a “competition” for QB. It’s not personal…..it’s business. We need to move on here, just like we did when TL took KB’s place. DJ took advantage of the NIL, now he needs to take advantage of the portal. And don’t give me this BS about “these are just kids”, etc. because he’s a paid kid now, so “the gloves are off” .

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 11:16 AM

C-????? How about D-. I mean, what curve are you grading on? His QB stats are near the bottom in the nation, that’s in no danger of being “average”. He gets only a small pass due to WR injuries and OL issues….I watched him throw too many passes over the heads of wide open receivers when he had plenty of time to throw.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 11:35 AM

The offensive hardly ever allowed him to throw
passes over 10 yards. That told me all I needed
to know. Now, if you don’t care about winning the
ACC championship..much less the natty next year,
leave him in.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 12:13 PM

Come on! C minus??? DJ was had the 5th worst QB rating in all of CFB, and no other Tiger QB had enough snaps to even be rated. If you want credibility on your analysis of anything, ya gotta shoot a little straighter than this.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 12:23 PM

Let me add that if you're rating DJ on character as a person and effort as a player, he absolutely gets an A+, but performance as a player would be no better than a D... and that's being gracious.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 8, 2022, 3:19 PM

As long as DJ is a Clemson Tiger, he has my unconditional support.

If someone comes in and out performs him for the starter job, then they start at QB. But I hope he continues to improve like I do for everyone else.

I respect this kid. Last year must have been extremely difficult for him. The expectations were huge and the performance did not match, but he handled it with class. As a parent, I am proud of him for that.

One season does not make a career. Hopefully his story includes an incredible comeback in orange.

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 9, 2022, 4:56 AM

Obviously, DJU bears an incredible amount of the responsibility for his poor play, even though our O line and receiving corp also share culpability. Everyone one knows we have a lot of work to do all around.
My biggest complaint with DJU was/is how he telegraphs his intended target. There were so so few instances where he could not/would not work through his progression to find the open man. In fairness, I believe this was due to fear caused by lack of confidence in his blocking.
With all that being said, I think the c- grade is understandable. Right now, we have CK, coming in and I hope he is all we hope he can be.
I don’t think it is in the best interest for morale of the team, and the confidence of our only scholarship QB to completely run DJU in the ground. He knows he did not perform well, and I am sure he is beating himself up plenty. At some point we need to consider diminishing returns when we continue to bludgeon his fractured and fragile ego. The truth has been said, the flaws have been identified, now I hope our coaches can find a way to get this young man to improve his play enough so we really can have a productive competition at QB when CK arrives.

As always- GO TIGERS!!!

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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Jan 9, 2022, 12:56 PM

“D” and being generous.

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Excellent, balanced data-driven article, Ryan!***


Jan 13, 2022, 11:54 AM



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Re: TNET: Final Grades: DJ Uiagalelei seeking bounce back after rough 2021


Oct 21, 2022, 1:26 PM

Serious question, if one of those guys were heading to the NFL draft, what is minimum draft grade draft grade they would need to get drafted? Also, what draft grade would they need for a 1st or 2nd round draft status?

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