7/24/2023 football Edit

BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2023: No. 7 DJ Uiagalelei

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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In the months leading up to the start of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the Top 25 Oregon State football players on the 2023 roster.

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No. 7 DJ Uiagalelei

No. 5

6-foot-4, 253-pounds

Quarterback

Jr.

Inland Empire, Calif.

St. John Bosco HS -> Clemson -> Oregon State

2022 Stats: Threw for a career-high 2,521 yards and 22 touchdowns (seven INT), while completing 229-of-370 passes (61.8 percent)

2022 Recap

In his third season overall with Clemson and his second as a full-time starter, Uiagalelei completed 62% of his throws for 2,521 passing yards and 22 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also showcased his dual-threat ability as he added 142 carries for 545 yards and seven touchdowns.

Prior to arriving at Clemson, Uiagalelei was one of the top high school quarterbacks in recent memory as the five-star was Rivals.com's third-best overall prospect in the country behind defensive lineman Bryan Breese and the most recent No. 1 NFL draft pick Bryce Young.

This past season, Uiagalalei led the Tigers to a 10-2 record and an appearance in the ACC Championship game against North Carolina before Dabo Swinney and Clemson decided to pivot to backup quarterback Cade Klubnik. Klubnik had previously filled in for Uiagalelei against Syracuse earlier in the season...

Following the changing of the guard, Uiagalelei announced his intention to enter the transfer portal shortly after the ACC Championship and chose Oregon State as his landing spot just days after Christmas.

In three seasons with the Tigers, Uiagalelei started in 28 games, compiling a 22–6 record and throwing for 5,681 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions on 60% completion rate.

Once hailed as the clear-cut successor to Trevor Lawrence at Clemson, Uiagalelei now finds himself at Oregon State in perhaps a perfect marriage of situations where the Beavers need what Uiagalelei can give them as a vertical passer, while OSU's pro-style offense will give DJ a better chance to achieve his ceiling and make a strong run at the NFL...

IN-DEPTH FEATURE ON DJ's JOURNEY TO CORVALLIS

2023 Outlook

Having joined Oregon State ahead of the start of winter workouts and spring football, OSU fans and media got to get their first look at the Beavers' new quarterback addition in former Clemson standout DJ Uiagalelei.

Spring was a small sample size, but it was evident on day one that DJ brings a different element to the quarterback room....

He's got a cannon of an arm and is extremely sizable standing at 6-foot-4, 253-pounds. DJ didn't get a ton of opportunities to uncork long-ball throws, but the very first day of spring practices stands out in a big way as he proved he could toss the ball a long way accurately, giving the Beavers the much-needed deep ball this season.

Additionally, his massive frame and running history could allow him to potentially handle of Jack Colletto's short-yardage situations... we've seen the QB sneak become even more popularized, particularly at the pro level with Jalen Hurts, and it wouldn't surprise me to see DJ get a little work in as a runner.

However, I don't think he'll be over-utilized in that regard at all... Clemson asked him to run perhaps a bit more than he wanted to, I expect him to grow a ton as a passer under the Beavers' tutelage and then have the dynamic mobility aspect to his game whenever the coaching staff asks.

In terms of his impact with the Beavers this season, he first needs to officially win the quarterback job. Head coach Jonathan Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren were obviously thrilled to add DJ in the offseason for a bevy of reasons, but both have maintained that he has to best 2022 returning QB Ben Gulbranson and highly-touted true freshman Aidan Chiles.

While Gulbranson and Chiles will certainly push Uiagalelei, there's a reason he came to Corvallis following a high-profile run at Clemson and it's that he wants a lower-key place where he can further develop his game in a pro-style offense, and make a run at the NFL.

Oregon State needs to take a big-time step in the passing game in order to become a team capable of winning the Pac-12 Championship and that's exactly why the Beavers went out and chased a stud like Uiagalelei.

He's been in some of the biggest moments in college football and played in a pressure-cooker situation like Clemson for three seasons. Now, with the pressure off, I expect Uiagalelei to have a career year for the Beavers this season, leading the Beavers to even new heights as the x-factor quarterback...