Sophomore QB D.J. Uiagalelei has a major summer ahead of him as he prepares to take over as the new face of the Clemson football program.
Uiagalelei won the starter job well before the Tigers even went through spring camp and has been groomed to take over as the starter since last fall when he learned under the leadership of Trevor Lawrence.
Now, with the Clemson football program in his hands, Uiagalalei is going to continue to push himself to get better.
Last week, Uiagalelei spoke with the media and laid out his objectives for the summer.
"“Feel like there are a lot of things I could work on, but that I did a lot of things well too. Just going through all of my reads, my RPOs, becoming a leader and being more vocal is huge,” Uiagalelei said via 247 Sports. “Fine-tuning every single tool of my game, running, throwing, losing weight, getting faster and stronger.“Just keep growing and becoming the best leader I can for my team is the biggest thing.”"
In addition to what Uiagalelei said he had to work on, Dabo Swinney shared a list of what he’d like to see the Clemson QB accomplish this offseason.
"“Really taking ownership of this offense,” Swinney said via 247 Sports. “Go back through the installation, go back through the spring, go back over every mistake and situation. He really had a good spring. But we are talking about trying to be elite. He’s a very good player obviously, but helping him become the best version of himself. Really asserting himself as a leader. He’s got to lead the skills-and-drills.“Getting his body in the best possible position he can be in. He is a true freshman– his body is nowhere near mature as it’s going to be as he continues to grind in the weight room and nutrition.”"
The Clemson football program is in good hands because Uiagalelei recognizes what he needs to do
If you listen to the way Uiagalelei talks, you can tell that he is as intelligent as they come and his overall understanding of the game as a whole- and his individual game- are just simply on another level compared to most players at his age.
Uiagalelei is going to work hard this offseason to lose some weight and to get faster so that he can be an effective runner while also stepping up as a leader. He’s going to continue to study the playbook and get more comfortable commanding the offense as well, but those are the challenges laid out for him to accomplish this summer.
Look for him to undergo a ton of conditioning and footwork programs to speed up his game and look for him to take special opportunities to establish himself as the leader on the offensive side of the ball.
It’s now time for the Uiagalelei era and there’s no doubt that he is going to be a special quarterback for the Tigers.
Many believe he has the potential to be greater than what we saw out of Trevor Lawrence and it’s hard to argue against that. He knows what he needs to improve upon and he knows what strengths he possesses.
Clemson got a transcendent talent and mind when they picked up a commitment from Uiagalelei and that can be seen in how he breaks down himself and the dedication he places on his craft.