During a “True or False” segment on ACC Network’s Packer and Durham this week, ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, who was filling in for Mark Packer to co-host the show with Wes Durham, weighed in on the following statement:
Clemson will start the same quarterback in every game this season.
Adelson gave her answer, going with “true” and opining that rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei — who started all 13 of Clemson’s games last season — will once again be the starter for every game this season despite the presence of talented true freshman quarterback and former five-star prospect Cade Klubnik.
“I actually discussed this question on a Twitter Space a couple months ago, and I said I thought D.J. was gonna be the starter for the whole entire season. So, I am going to stick with that,” Adelson said. “I think he’s going to be better this year. I didn’t see enough from Cade Klubnik in the spring to think that he’s really going to push D.J. here in the fall.
“Now, if something catastrophic happens and there’s an injury or something, then obviously they’d have to make a change. But I think they want to give D.J. every single opportunity and then some, and then some more on top of that and then a cherry on top of that, to prove himself and be their starter. So, I think he’s going to start every game barring injury.”
Uiagalelei enters the 2022 season having completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 3,160 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over 23 games (15 starts). The former five-star prospect completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 2,246 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 13 games in 2021, finishing the season as one of only four offensive or defensive players to start every game for Clemson. He also rushed 105 times for 308 yards with four touchdowns.
Klubnik, who enrolled at Clemson in January, finished his career at Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) with a 70.0 percent completion percentage and 7,426 passing yards with 86 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He added 197 carries for 1,319 rushing yards (6.7 average) and 31 touchdowns.
In the Orange & White Spring Game on April 9, Uiagalelei went 17 of 36 passing for 175 yards and threw the game’s only interception. Klubnik was 15 of 23 and had the only passing touchdown of the game (one play after another touchdown pass of his was taken off the board).
