During Clemson Football’s National Signing Day show on Wednesday from the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, Brandon Streeter joined Clemson director of broadcasting Don Munson and shared the latest on the injury status of D.J. Uiagalelei and his subsequent rehab.
Clemson’s starting quarterback sustained a sprained knee in the first half against Louisville on Nov. 6, 2021. He then sported a bulky brace for the Tigers’ remaining three regular-season games.
Additionally, he had a splint on the index finger of his throwing hand. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said last month that Uiagalelei was dealing with “a tendon thing in there that he’s got to keep taped up.”
“The anticipation right now is that he’s gonna be healthy and he is,” Streeter said. “He’s getting better and better. I can’t say he’s 100%, but I think his knee is getting back to close to normal. And he is working his tail off. That guy, I’ve met with him a couple of times, and that guy, he’s fired up about getting going and coming out with a fresh start and getting healthy.
“He’s just got a different mindset. Like I said earlier, this team learned a lot of lessons this last year. He’s one of them. He’s one of the guys that learned a lot of lessons, some good lessons and some lessons that he’s got to continue to grow from. I think that he’s willing to do that. I know he’s gonna put the work in.”
Streeter said that one thing he talked about with Uiagalelei was getting his weight down this offseason, so he could maneuver a little bit better going forward. According to Streeter, Uiagalelei has already lost 10 pounds.
“He’s never had any issues with working hard,” Streeter said. “I’m excited about his future and I’m excited about his response to what happened this past year. I’m anxious to watch him this spring and see how he does.”
Munson indicated that he believes 2022 will be a response year for Uiagalelei.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Streeter said. “He’s always responded the right way. He’s never been a guy that has pointed fingers or whatever. He’s always taken the blame and just continues to work. Other people might be questioning him, but this guy right here has zero question about what he’s gonna do to move forward and how he’s gonna continue to improve.
“And, he’s gonna be a huge piece of this puzzle as we go into the 2022 offseason and season. He’s a better young man than he is a player and he’s a tremendous player.”
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