Clemson football: DJ Uiagalelei compared to Ben Roethlisberger

The Clemson football program is set to have a new face in 2021 when sophomore QB D.J. Uiagalelei takes over as the new starter.

Uiagalelei, who was the No. 1 QB in the nation during the 2020 recruiting cycle, committed to Clemson football over Oregon and spent his freshman year learning behind Trevor Lawrence.

Even though Uiagalelei wasn’t the starter, he saw action in nine games, including two starts when Lawrence was out due to a positive COVID-19 test. In those two starts, he threw for nearly 800 yards and accounted for six touchdowns while not turning the ball over one time.

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy recently said that Uiagalelei reminds him of Pittsburgh Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger.

"“The fact that in stature, and really in his mobility, he reminds me a lot of Ben Roethlisberger,” McElroy said via 247 Sports. “And he just moves, and a guy that’s 250 you shouldn’t move like that. It’s really pretty remarkable. But we covered his game against Boston College last year, and he was on the ropes. And really struggled and had some mistakes as his first career start. And he wasn’t flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but he led them back. And they ultimately ended up winning that game in large part due to the throws that he made down the stretch. And he parlayed that performance into a road trip to what was maybe the best Notre Dame team we’ve seen in quite some time. And he had them in position to win.”"

The Clemson football program is in good hands when it comes to D.J. Uiagalelei

There’s no doubt that Clemson will be in good hands with Uiagalelei taking over as the quarterback.

The Roethlisberger comparison is one that we’ve heard before and it has to do with the similar statures, yet solid athleticism. Uiagalelei sits tall at 6-foot-5 and weighs nearly 250 pounds, but he is still athletic and can pull the ball down and run when needed. He is also able to use that big frame- just as Roethlisberger has for years- to pick up extra yardage and to impose his will on defenders from time-to-time.

Where that comparison breaks down, at least a little bit, is in terms of arm talent.

At his peak, Big Ben had one of the strongest arms in the league but I’m not so sure he had the same touch that Uiagalelei already possesses. Both guys have strong arms, but there’s something about Uiagalelei’s anticipation and touch on the deep ball that’s just different than what we see from a lot of quarterbacks.

Still, I have to say that the comparison does seem valid and there are plenty of NFL franchises that would absolutely jump at the opportunity of having a player who could pull off some of the same feats as Ben Roethlisberger.

Although, in my opinion, Uiagalelei’s ceiling is much higher.