Will DJ Uiagalelei's final act be his best yet?
The Florida State quarterback didn't turn into the quarterback many expected at Clemson, but he made strides in his only season at Oregon State and now takes the mantle from Jordan Travis as the on-field leader of a Seminoles team that didn't lose until the Orange Bowl last season.
It's not uncommon for quarterbacks who struggled early in their careers to find new life in the transfer portal. Bo Nix stunningly turned himself into a first-round pick after transferring from Auburn to Oregon, while Jayden Daniels became an unlikely Heisman Trophy winner at LSU after transferring from Arizona State.
Uiagalelei has his own NFL dreams, but his season at Florida State — which started with a loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland — will go a long way toward determining how realistic they are.
Here's a look at why Uiagalelei transferred to Florida State and a dive into his college career between three stops.
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Why did DJ Uiagalelei transfer to Florida State?
The decision to transfer out of Oregon State likely wasn't a difficult one for Uiagalelei, as the Beavers were left behind by the implosion of the Pac-12 and are no longer a Power-Four program. Oregon State remains one of two members of the Pac-12 but is an affiliate member of the Mountain West Conference in football. Between Oregon State's demotion, coach Jonathan Smith's exit to Michigan State, and Uiagalelei's NFL hopes, it was no surprise that the quarterback explored other options.
Why did he choose Florida State? Jordan Travis' graduation left the starting job open, and the Seminoles' undefeated regular season helped make the opening one of the most attractive in the nation.
Travis actually helped sell Uiagalelei on transferring to Florida State, according to ESPN, telling the former Clemson starter about how much coach Mike Norvell cares about his players on a personal level.
Uiagalelei said after committing to Florida State that he was "locked in" on the Seminoles while in the transfer portal and didn't take any other visits. While the roster has changed quite a bit since last year's undefeated regular season, Uiagalelei's move to Tallahassee puts him in a strong position to finish his college career on a high note.
DJ Uiagalelei transfer timeline
Clemson
Uiagalelei was a five-star recruit when he arrived at Clemson in 2020, ranking No. 2 in 247 Sports' recruiting rankings behind only Bryce Young.
He made two impressive starts in place of Trevor Lawrence as a true freshman, including a 439-yard showing in a tough loss to Notre Dame, which inspired confidence that Uiagalelei was a ready-made successor to Lawrence. Come 2021, however, that wasn't reality.
Uiagalelei finished his first full season as a starter with only nine touchdown passes to 10 interceptions, and he completed less than 56 percent of passes for just 2,246 yards. Uiaglelei was able to improve those marks in 2021, tossing 22 touchdowns to seven interceptions, but Clemson still fell short of the College Football Playoff.
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Oregon State
Uiagalelei made the decision to give himself a fresh start after the 2022 season, with freshman Cade Klubnik waiting in the wings as a potential replacement for Clemson. By transferring to Oregon State, he guaranteed himself a starting job in a well-coached program with a strong defense.
The redshirt junior didn't set the world on fire, tossing 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a completion rate just barely above 57 percent, but he posted the highest passer rating of his career and led the Beavers to an 8-4 regular season.
With his coach gone and Oregon State forced out of the Power-Four discussion, though, Uiagalelei chose to take a look at some of the more prominent programs with quarterback openings following the 2023 season.
Florida State
Uiagalelei chose Florida State over the NFL, and his hope is another year of development in an ideal situation help boost his draft stock ahead of 2025.
That journey began with a rough outing in a loss to Georgia Tech in which Uiagalelei was 19-of-27 for 193 yards with no touchdown passes. He will look to bounce back in a long season where one loss no longer spells the end of a team's College Football Playoff hopes.
DJ Uiagalelei stats
| Season | School | Comp. rate | Pass yards | TD | INT |
| 2020 | Clemson | 66.7 | 914 | 5 | 0 |
| 2021 | Clemson | 55.6 | 2,246 | 9 | 10 |
| 2022 | Clemson | 61.9 | 2,521 | 22 | 7 |
| 2023 | Oregon State | 57.1 | 2,638 | 21 | 7 |
| Career | 59.1 | 8,319 | 57 | 24 |