Nothing has changed when it comes to Clemson’s quarterback situation.
That’s the way Clemson coach Dabo Swinney sees it after evaluating the position during the spring, which, for the Tigers, concluded Saturday with the Orange and White game.
“D.J. (Uiagalelei) is definitely our starter,” Swinney said.
Clemson’s annual spring game gave Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter one final chance to watch Uiagalelei and five-star signee Cade Klubnik in their most competitive setting so far this year. Some fans withstood abnormally cold temperatures and gusting winds to take in the Tigers’ final spring act at Memorial Stadium.
For Uiagalelei, it looked a lot like his performance throughout his first season as the Tigers’ full-time starter, one marred by inconsistency. The strong-armed junior misfired twice with overthrows on the Orange’s opening possession and had other passes miss the mark, including an ill-advised interception in the second half that was thrown into double coverage down the sideline. Freshman safety Sherrod Covil came up with the pick, setting up the White team’s lone touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Uiagalelei also sprinkled in some well-placed balls as part of a 17-of-36 day through the air. He hit Joseph Ngata in stride down the sideline in the first half for a big gainer and put another pass up for the Tigers’ primary receiver to come down with in the back of the end zone late in the first half, though the touchdown was wiped off the scoreboard since Swinney ruled Uiagalelei was sacked before getting the pass off.
As for Klubnik, who quarterbacked the White team, there was expectedly some good and bad for the 6-foot-2, 195-pound newcomer. Klubnik completed 15 of 23 passes for 106 yards, using his legs to extend plays at times. With the quarterbacks playing behind makeshift offensive lines, the Orange defense got to Klubnik and former walk-on Hunter Helms for six sacks, though Swinney said living for the next play is something his young signal caller is still learning as he adjusts to the college game.
“He took too many sacks. He’s got the purple-jersey syndrome,” Swinney joked, referencing the color of the no-contact jerseys worn by the quarterbacks. “I told him I’m going to let (the defensive ends) loose a couple times, and he’ll get a little more sense of urgency when Myles Murphy smashes into him a couple of times. And there were a couple of guys he just didn’t see because we whiffed on a guy or whatever, but he took a sack in the red zone on a safety blitz.
“He’s so fast that he’s used to just being able to run away from everybody, but you don’t run away from Myles Murphy. You don’t run away from Xavier Thomas and people like that. That’s an adjustment for him.”
Klubnik also put his throwing talent on display with “some big-time throws,” Swinney said. One included buying some extra time before finding tight end Jake Briningstool for a 22-yard completion in the second quarter. Another was when he hit walk-on Hamp Greene in stride for a 7-yard touchdown in the back corner of the end zone early in the fourth quarter, a play after what would’ve been a touchdown on another well-placed ball over the middle was dropped.
“Did a really good job,” Swinney said of Klubnik.
But Saturday was just a snapshot of the spring rather than the full picture, which is why Swinney said Uiagalelei is still at the top of the depth chart for the time being. Coaches have largely praised Uiagalelei’s decision-making and grasp of the offense since the Tigers began spring practices in early March.
Swinney said he feels like the Tigers are in a “good situation” at the most important position on the field heading into the summer.
“He’s had a great spring,” Swinney said of Uiagalelei, who’s started 15 games heading into his junior season. “He’s not done anything to not be the starter. Cade is a really talented player. We’ve got two guys that I think can win at a high level just like when Trevor (Lawrence) and D.J. were coming out of the spring (in 2020). It’s not often that you can say that, but I’ve seen enough from both of those guys to know that.”
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