Early impressions of Clemson’s latest 5-star QB: ‘He’s a great player. He gets it’
First there was Deshaun Watson. Then there was Trevor Lawrence.
Up next? D.J. Uiagalelei is the latest highly-rated quarterback recruit to arrive at Clemson as a freshman with sky-high expectations. If the first few spring practices are any indication, the California native appears ready to live up to the hype.
Uiagalelei (pronounced ooh-ee-AHN-guh-luh-lay) won’t be counted on as a freshman the way Watson or Lawrence were, but he does have the chance to follow in the footsteps of those two in terms of being all-time greats at Clemson. Everything Lawrence has seen so far indicates Uiagalelei has a very bright future.
“He looks good. Just kind of the way he carries himself, I feel like we’re similar in that way,” Lawrence said. “We have a good relationship. Just obviously he’s a great player. He’s picking it up quick. That’s the one thing I can tell is, he knows football. He gets it. It clicks quick with him.”
It’s easy to notice Uiagalelei’s physical presence at Clemson’s practices.
He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, and he carries the weight well. Uiagalelei is fast for his size, has a strong arm and ideal size. From a physical standpoint, he possesses everything teams look for in a quarterback.
“He’s huge. He’s full grown already,” Lawrence said. “He doesn’t have to put on any weight or anything. It’s a little different from me. He’s a great player, great guy.”
Uiagalelei is working as Clemson’s No. 3 quarterback at this point, behind Lawrence and redshirt freshman Taisun Phommachanh (pronounced TY-sun PUMA-chon). Uiagalelei and Phommachanh will compete for the backup job throughout the spring and likely into the fall.
Phommachanh completed 6 of 12 passes for 85 yards over three games in 2019. He also rushed for 56 yards. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder will have his work cut out for him as he tries to hold off Uiagalelei for the backup job.
“It’s fun to watch him, especially live. I’ve seen him many, many times on tape. So he can sling it,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said of Uiagalelei. “So can Taisun. All three of them guys are fun to watch.”
Either Uiagalelei or Phommachanh will likely take over for Lawrence in 2021, as the junior quarterback is set to graduate in December and is widely expected to leave early for the NFL. If it is indeed Uiagalelei, Lawrence expects him to be ready.
“Even though he doesn’t know all the plays yet, when he sees it once or twice he’s already kind of learning them and getting them down,” Lawrence said. “He’s really smart, just a natural. He’s got a knack for the game. So he’s going to be good.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 11:11 AM.
