While the increased agility and mobility that’s come with his offseason weight loss has been a consistent talking point among D.J. Uiagalelei’s coaches and teammates, whether or not Clemson’s quarterback is able to rebound from a subpar sophomore season will largely be dictated by what he does with his right arm.
More specifically, can Uiagalelei be more accurate than last season when the Tigers’ junior signal caller nearly missed the mark as much as he was on it with his deliveries through the air? Uiagalelei’s 55.6% completion rate was second-lowest among ACC starters.
Constant shuffling within the offensive line, running backs and receivers around him didn’t help, but Uiagalelei’s mechanics also lacked consistency, particularly when it came to his lower half. Improving Uiagalelei’s footwork and creating a more stable base from which to throw was something first-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter pinpointed with him coming into the offseason.
Streeter, who doubles as Clemson’s quarterbacks coach, added it’s been an emphasis with the entire position group.
“The details, the fundamentals and the footwork is really where it stems from,” Streeter said. “A lot of quarterbacks will say that. Hey, if it’s not an accurate throw, a lot of the time we don’t have a great base and our footwork is off. I teach the guys it’s kind of like a golf swing. The backswing is almost as important as that forward spring because it gets you going in the right direction.
“Their footwork and getting back to their spot in the pocket is just as important as making the throw. Those all are little detail things we’ve been working on.”
As for Uiagalelei, Streeter said he saw improved accuracy from the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder during preseason camp after an offseason of focusing on the footwork. Coincidence? Streeter would beg to differ.
“His base is so critical, to have a good base and making sure we’re throwing on platform because that allows him to be more accurate,” Streeter said. “It’s just proven. He’s working on that every single day, and I’m impressed with how he improved in that area.”
Off-platform throws would fall into the category that some NFL quarterbacks, including Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo Bills triggerman Josh Allen and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, have made famous in recent years. They’re the side-armed, often off-balance – and sometimes no-look – throws that go against every fundamental of playing the position.
Streeter acknowledges there’s a time and place for them, most often when an oncoming defender creates the need for a different arm angle in order to successfully get the pass off. Streeter said Uiagalelei can make off-platform throws “as good or better than anybody I’ve seen,” but the key for a quarterback as strong-armed as Uiagalelei to be consistent is to not fall in love with playing such an unorthodox style.
“What I don’t agree with is when (quarterbacks) are trying to throw off-platform when there’s nobody in their face,” Streeter said. “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It’s proven date. If you’re balanced, you’re standing tall and you’re having the right footwork, then you’re going to be more accurate. We did a whole study on D.J. and guys in the past. When we’re stationary and we’re able to make the throws with balance, we’re just way more accurate.
“That’s kind of my big thing. I want to drill 75 to 80% of the time of having a good platform and moving in the pocket but having a good platform when you’re ready to throw. And a smaller percentage of let’s work on some off-platform things because it’s going to happen in games.”
The goal for Streeter is getting maximum efficiency out of Uiagalelei and the rest of the Tigers’ quarterbacks in the passing game. While they won’t be perfect, Streeter knows the group needs to be far better than the collective 55.1% completion rate it had a season ago if Clemson is going to become a title contender again.
“We always want to be above 60%,” Streeter said. “That’s kind of just an overall goal, but some teams might have a higher percentage. Just depends on what they’re doing on defense really, but we want to be above 60% for sure.”
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