Where did Clemson's QB transfer to? Exploring the quarterback battle of the FBS powerhouse
Before the 2023 season began, former highly touted prospect DJ Uiagalelei held the starting quarterback position at Clemson. He stayed with the Tigers for roughly three seasons before entering the transfer portal in December 2022.
Uiagalelei was a starter for Clemson in the last two years, which made his transfer a bit of a shock to fans and everyone else who follows him.
But where did Clemson's QB transfer to? Why did he move out? And who is now QB1 for the Tigers in his stead?
Where did Clemson's QB transfer to?
Riverside, California native DJ Uiagalelei joined Oregon State from the NCAA transfer portal in 2022. The ex-Clemson QB moved to start for the Beavers for several reasons.
Perhaps the most obvious is his underperformance as a member of the Tigers, even if Uiagalelei had relatively stellar seasons in both 2021 and 2022.
He logged 2,246 and 2,521 passing yards in those years as the starter. In three seasons at Clemson, Uiagalelei had 5,681 passing yards, alongside 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
These are not bad numbers for a signal-caller, but his completion percentage was uncharacteristic. He only completed 66.7, 55.6 and 62.1% of his passes during his three seasons there. If you compare this with his current sky-high 80% CMP rate, there's already a huge difference.
Uiagalelei was also benched in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in favor of Cade Klubnik, leading to speculation that the snub led to him entering the transfer portal.
DJ Uiagalelei himself explained another potential reason.
In an interview with Sporting News, he revealed that he wasn't a good fit for Clemson. Uiagalelei thought the system they ran was "very basic" and never let him do what he does best.
If any of these claims are true, then perhaps Tigers coach Dabo Swinney might have some introspection to do.
Who's Clemson's QB1 this season?
Since DJ Uiagalelei left, the reins of Clemson QB1 have been handed to Cade Klubnik. A former backup to Uiagalelei last season, Klubnik had a decent enough start to the season, stats-wise.
Despite the Tigers losing their opener to Duke, he logged 209 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception while completing 62.8% of his passes.
These are not eye-watering numbers per se, but it's still early in the season. And coach Swinney is blushing over the young man. Klubnik shares the same admiration for his coach, as per his words spoken to ESPN earlier this month:
"I came to Clemson for Coach Swinney and that staff to be a part of this culture, and with that is just trusting the coaches -- whatever plan they had."
The Tigers take on Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Saturday, Sept. 9, in Week 2.