Nine practices haven’t changed anything for Clemson’s quarterbacks as far as the depth chart goes.
Asked at nearly every turn during the preseason media circuit about the Tigers’ top two signal callers, head coach Dabo Swinney has reiterated D.J. Uiagalelei is the starter heading into Clemson’s Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. First-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said following Monday’s practice nothing he’s seen during preseason camp has altered that stance.
“He’s been solid this whole camp. He really has,” Streeter said of Uiagalelei. “He’s moving so much better. He’s just doing a great job with leadership. We talk about that all the time, and these guys really want to follow him.”
But Streeter acknowledged true freshman Cade Klubnik is keeping the heat on Uiagalelei with the way he continues to perform.
“Cade has done an awesome job,” Streeter said. “He’s done nothing but just continue to get better and better and better.
“There’s no doubt there is competition. There is definite competition. But D.J., he’s the guy right now. He’s our guy. He’s got to stay consistent, keep playing and getting better, and that’s what competition is about. That’s what’s making all those guys in my room better and better each day.”
Uiagalelei’s struggles during his first season as Trevor Lawrence’s successor have been well-documented, but the junior quarterback worked on improving his physique and mechanics this offseason – the primary focus being footwork and a more balanced base, Uiagalelei said – after completing just 55% of his passes last fall. Uiagalelei has dropped roughly 30 pounds after he said he played around 260 pounds a season ago, and Streeter said he’s seen better accuracy from the strong-armed quarterback so far in camp.
“I think he’s just gotten more confident,” Streeter said. “The other thing is when you have guys that are back healthy and you’ve got a consistent, every day in, day out, you’re throwing to the same guys, that creates a lot of confidence right there.”
But Klubnik, Clemson’s latest five-star signee at the position, has also earned praise from Swinney and Streeter for the steady progress he’s made since arriving on campus in January as an early enrollee. Swinney said last week that Klubnik, who’s beefed up to 195 pounds on his 6-2 frame, is “the best we’ve seen him.”
Even with Uiagalelei atop the depth chart at the moment, Swinney said during the spring that Klubnik, who brings more of a true dual threat to the position, will have opportunities to play this season. The question is, will all of his snaps come in a change-of-pace role? Or could he eventually take over as QB1?
Those answers are largely tied to Uiagalelei’s performance. Asked if Klubnik has closed the gap on Uiagalelei with the way he’s performed during camp, Streeter kept things general with his answer.
“I don’t even know how big the gap was whenever we started preseason camp,” Streeter said. “They’re both just pushing each other. They really are,” Streeter said. “They’re both pushing each other, and they’re both taking steps in a lot of different areas. That’s all I can look for is guys just getting better individually, which is going to make our group that much better.”
Both quarterbacks had their ups and downs during Clemson’s first scrimmage over the weekend, including each making some positive plays with their running ability. The evaluation of Uiagalelei and Klubnik will continue in earnest Wednesday when the Tigers hold their second and final scrimmage of camp.
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