Clemson football: DJ Uiagalelei will have the greatest ACC season ever in 2021

Clemson football QB, DJ Uiagalelei, is primed for the best year ever for a Tiger signal-caller.

In 2020, Clemson football fans got a glimpse of the future when DJ Uiagalelei had to start against both Boston College and Notre Dame when former quarterback Trevor Lawrence contracted COVID.

While the Tigers lost a heart breaker to the Irish, Uiagalelei made history as he threw for more yards against Notre Dame (439) than any previous opponent ever had. Yes, EVER. That performance also vaulted him into the Clemson football record books as those same 439 yards are the third-most in a single game in Tigers history.

From a passing perspective, the best year ever for a Clemson perspective was 2016 when Deshaun Watson threw for 4,593 and 41 touchdowns in 15 games while also leading Clemson to their first national title since 1981.

Most would argue the best overall year from a quarterback perspective was actually 2015 when Deshaun Watson became the first player in college football history to throw for more than 4,000 yards while also rushing for more than 1,000 yards.

While Uiagalelei is capable of running and is extremely mobile, he is a pocket passer and wants to throw the ball, so you won’t see him carry the ball 200 times in a season as Watson did.

While DJ will more than likely only be in Tiger town for two more seasons, he will rewrite the Clemson football record books.

In the history of college football, only 17 quarterbacks have ever thrown for 5,000 yards in a single season. Of those 17, not a single one has played for an ACC program. Matter of fact, not only is Watson’s 4,593 yards a school-record but it is also the ACC record.

Both of those will fall in 2021 under DJ Uiagalelei.

The Clemson football offense is primed for a huge year. With Justyn Ross moving to the slot, Frank Ladson Jr., Joseph Ngata, Ajou Ajou, and EJ Williams will all be primed for breakout years. When you had in Uiagalelei’s former high school teammate true freshman Beaux Collins as well as Atlanta area receiver Dacari Collins, the receiver group is as good as Clemson has ever had.

The running back group is the most talented ever assembled by Clemson football and will go a long way in opening up the passing game for Uiagalelei. They can all run between the tackles and catch out of the backfield.

While there will be those who believe that the Clemson offense will take a step back after losing Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, I would remind those same folks that many thought the same thing after Deshaun took his talents to the NFL.

The Tigers find a way to reload every year and that will mean something special in 2021 as DJ records the greatest year ever for a Clemson quarterback.