Clemson QB Uiagalelei displays ‘Cali swag’ in first taste of ACC Kickoff spotlight
When Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham walked past Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei at the ACC Kickoff on Thursday, he checked out his shoes.
Cunningham also noticed Uiagalelei doing the same thing. It was the first time the two met, but it won’t be the last time they see each other.
“I feel like he’s got a little swag to himself, so I like that about him,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham wasn’t the only one to notice Uiagalelei’s “Cali swag” at the ACC’s annual media days event. The sophomore Tiger handled the spotlight well during his first official preseason news conference as Clemson’s starting quarterback.
In fact, his presence here was somewhat out of the ordinary. Tigers football coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t normally bring underclassmen to ACC Kickoff, which is a testament to Uiagalelei.
“It’s the intangibles that make him special,” Swinney said.
Uiagalelei had some practice with being in the national spotlight after starting in two games last season against Boston College and Notre Dame, throwing for 342 and 439 yards, respectively.
He got the nod when Trevor Lawrence, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was out with COVID-19. That glimpse into Uiagalelei’s potential turned heads.
“I think the sample size that he showed last year with those two games, he should be more than confident going into it because he played big games,” said ACC Network analyst and former Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel. “I mean, the Boston College one. Boston College came out and punched Clemson in the nose at the beginning of the game. He was able to battle back, make the right decisions with the football, especially in third down and the red zone. That’s what impressed me the most — just his poise. He didn’t get rattled by the moment.”
Uiagalelei provided insight Thursday into why that was, saying he doesn’t feel pressure. He’s played in plenty of big games, dating back to his days in high school at St. John Bosco (California). He was also the backup there before getting the starting nod and winning a state championship with the powerhouse program.
For Uiagalelei, it’s all about preparation.
“Every game, I wanted to prepare myself as if I was going to be the starter,” he said. “I was a backup in high school, but I knew that I was one step away from being in the game. ... I want to be mentally prepared that I was the starter. I’d have to prepare a little bit more than Trevor. He had a little more game experience. I didn’t want to let my team down.”
He also said watching Lawrence handle the spotlight helped him to have an idea of what to expect now that it’s his time.
“The way Trevor handled different things off the field, how he dealt with media, how he dealt going around town,” Uiagalelei said. “He couldn’t be like himself. He had to uphold to a Clemson quarterback where he maybe couldn’t do the regular things that a college athlete or college student couldn’t do. He couldn’t go down to Chipotle and get some food or it would turn into an autograph session, just different things like that, things about how to become a true professional of the game.”
The California native got a small taste of that this week after announcing his NIL partnership with Bojangles on Wednesday. In less than 24 hours, the Instagram video had 76,620 views.
“I remember one thing coming down here to the South,” he explained. “One thing I definitely learned is Jesus is number one here, then it goes football, and then it goes people love Bojangles down here.”
Uiagalelei’s first game as Clemson’s full-time starter will be against Georgia on Sept. 4. Even with the Bulldogs losing a good portion of their defensive production, facing the unit could be a trial-by-fire moment in what will be one of the biggest games of the season.
“I think the expectations are sky high,” ESPN analyst Roddy Jones said. “I mean, the dude threw for more yards against Notre Dame than anybody has done ever. That’s going to follow him in a way that is going to create a lot of expectations.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Clemson QB Uiagalelei displays ‘Cali swag’ in first taste of ACC Kickoff spotlight."
