5 reasons DJ Uiagalelei's FSU move makes sense after Jordan Travis' college career-ending injury
DJ Uiagalelei has transferred to Florida State and will be the Seminoles’ quarterback for next season.
This will be Uiagalelei's third transfer in three seasons. First, he was the quarterback at Clemson. Then, he transferred to Oregon State last season to play for the Beavers. He is now back on the East Coast, where he'll be playing for the Seminoles.
This transfer has been spurred on by the career-ending injury of Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis.
Here are five reasons why Uiagalelei's transfer to Florida State makes sense:
5 reasons why Uiagalelei's move to Florida State made sense
1. Instant playing time
After Jordan Travis was injured, the Seminoles played his backup quarterbacks for the rest of the season. Luckily for them, this was only a few games, which the Seminoles did win. But the team was without an experienced starting quarterback, and this was clearly seen during the Seminoles’ poor offensive display against Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
The arrival of Uiagalelei gives the Seminoles the experienced quarterback that they need to help them succeed in the 2024 season.
2. He has experience in the ACC
The addition of Uiagalelei to the Seminoles roster signals his return to the ACC, a conference in which he spent three years playing for the Clemson Tigers. While at Clemson, Uiagalelei had a good level of success, but could never achieve the same level of success as his predecessor, Trevor Lawrence. His return to the conference allows the Seminoles to have a quarterback who knows how each program works, their strengths, and their weakness. This knowledge can be vital in big games.
3. It saves his career
If Uiagalelei was to stay at Oregon State, he would be playing in the PAC-12. This is not normally a problem, as the PAC-12 is a Power 5 conference. However, next year, the PAC-12 will not exist (or not in its current form). All of the conference's large programs have left. The likes of Oregon, Washington, and USC will no longer call the PAC-12 home. Out of the teams from this season, only Oregon State and Washington State currently remain in the conference, and it has been rumored that the conference wants to get a lot of the teams that play in the Mountain West Conference to join.
This is an issue. To develop as a player, you have to face big teams every week. In this new PAC-12, this will not happen, as the only large program that you will face is Washington State. Uiagalelei moved away from this to potentially save his career from facing Power 5 schools every week.
4. The ACC is an improving conference
For years, the ACC was dominated by Uiagalelei's old team, the Clemson Tigers. However, the power balance of the ACC seems to have shifted. Now, while Clemson is still a strong team, the likes of Duke, North Carolina, and Lousiville are also challenging for the title. In this ever-changing landscape, there are potentially five programs that could make the championship game. Florida State is one of these. With Uiagalelei's experience and talent, he can make this Seminoles team, not only an ACC powerhouse, but potentially a national powerhouse, like Jordan Travis did this year.
5. Draft prospects rise
Due to the nature of college football, the program one is with can have a large impact on any potential NFL Draft position. To be one of the top prospects, you need to play for a program that can train you to be a strong and versatile player. This is needed in the quarterback position.
Uiagalelei's move to Florida State will allow him to have access to some of the best coaches available in a program that will have the eyes of the nation during the big games. One stand-out performance from Uiagalelei may give any potential draft position a boost. This move will help him become a potential NFL quarterback. Now, he has to deliver on the field.