Florida State lands transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei
Former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has committed to Florida State, he told ESPN in a phone interview Monday.
Uiagalelei said he committed to coach Mike Norvell on Monday afternoon, one day after FSU shifted its focus to prioritize adding him to the roster.
Uiagalelei had also been exploring the NFL, as he said he took no other college visits; he told ESPN that FSU had been his priority and goal all along. He’d visited there more than two weeks ago and waited for things to come together.
“That’s where I wanted to go the whole time,” Uiagalelei told ESPN. “I didn’t talk to many other programs. For the most part, I was locked in at Florida State. I appreciated them throughout the whole process. I wanted to be a Seminole. I wanted to be part of the program. I’m just blessed that Coach Norvell wanted to take me. I can’t wait to get there and get to work.”
Uiagalelei visited Florida State in mid-December and has stayed in touch with the school. Former Washington State quarterback Cam Ward, who declared for the NFL draft earlier Monday, had also taken a visit.
Uiagalelei will enter FSU as the prohibitive favorite to start next season. He has started 40 career games with a 30-10 record and has thrown for 8,319 yards and 57 touchdowns. Joining FSU will mark a return to the ACC, where he began at Clemson as a heralded recruit from Southern California.
The quarterback said he had been impressed meeting Norvell at ACC events and watching the team from across the sidelines.
“I think the biggest thing is that I feel like Florida State’s offense plays to my strengths,” he said. “They push the ball down the field. They’re going to take deep shots. They have playmakers all around there. Coach Norvell does an unbelievable job scheming for opponents. He’s a guy who’s go a smart football mind.”
FSU got elite quarterback play from Jordan Travis this season, but his injury on Nov. 18 ended his college career. It also put Florida State’s season in the crosshairs, as Travis’ absence played a big role in the program’s unprecedented College Football Playoff snub. The Seminoles became the first power conference team to go undefeated, win their league title and not reach the CFP.
Since the snub, two FSU backup quarterbacks — Tate Rodemaker and A.J. Duffy — have entered the NCA A transfer portal. Travis is out of eligibility and off to the NFL, which left Brock Glenn as the lone remaining scholarship quarterback for Saturday’s blowout loss in the Orange Bowl.
Uiagalelei brings plenty of experience, and he showed a jump in his development under coach Jonathan Smith at Oregon State in 2023. He completed 57.1% of his passes while averaging a career-high 8.4 yards per attempt. He also threw for a career-high 2,638 yards while leading Oregon State to an 8-4 regular-season record, a run that included wins over Utah, UCLA and Colorado.
Uiagalelei entered Clemson as the No. 43 overall recruit in ESPN’s rankings, including the No. 1 pocket-passing quarterback in the Class of 2020. He has one season of eligibility left.
“I want to be another guy, a teammate,” he said. “Put my hard hat on and go to work, join the brotherhood and be one of the guys. I want to go there and compete and work my tail off. I want to put my best foot forward, win an ACC championship, reach the College Football Playoff and ultimately win a national championship.”
