DJ Uiagalelei and his new offensive coordinator, Brandon Streeter, came up with a list of on-field improvements both wanted Clemson’s rising junior quarterback to make this offseason.
Before getting to those, though, Uiagalelei’s first order of business was to drop weight.
Clemson has gone through its first couple of spring practices with a noticeably slimmer Uiagalelei at the controls of the offense. Uiagalelei said he’s down to 240 pounds after maxing out last season at 260. And he’d still like to shed a few more.
“Probably get down a little more to 235 or 230,” he said. “Keep going and see how much.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he talked with Uiagalelei about dropping the weight and working on his body composition, but ultimately the decision was Uiagalelei’s to commit to it. Uiagalelei said he played during the latter stages of his high school career at St. John Bosco around 250 pounds – “he’s never going to be little, ever,” Swinney quipped – but his decision to drop the weight, he said, had a lot to do with getting serious about his future.
“I feel like longevity-wise and career-wise, you kind of see the TB12 diet and stuff like that,” Uiagalelei said, referencing future NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady’s meal plan. “Your body is like a temple. You want to be able to treat your body like a Ferrari. Stop putting fast food in myself and try to treat it like a fancy car.”
That means no more In-N-Out Burger, a popular fast food joint that originated in Uiagalelei’s home state of California. No more Jack in the Box either, Uiagalelei said.
What about Bojangles? Uiagalelei said he still shows the regional chicken restaurant chain some love – he does have a name, image and likeness deal with them after all – but in moderation.
“Right now, I’m cutting it out just for a little bit,” he said with a smile. “I’ll eat it sometimes.
“It’s been easy though. You look at it, and if I want to be at the goals I have in mind and want to be able to reach those, it’s easy stuff to give up.”
Uiagalelei is now on a meal plan that emphasizes portion control. Other than breakfast, which he usually eats on campus, Uiagalelei said he gets prepped meals delivered to his door.
“After the season, when I went back home (to California), I was eating a lot for a good bit,” Uiagalelei said. “I was like, ‘Dang, I’ve got to lose some weight.’ … I wanted to get a little lighter. Easier on my knees and things like that.”
Being quicker on his feet is another potential benefit Uiagalelei saw in playing at a lighter weight. While he didn’t think hovering in the 250s for much of last season necessarily affected his overall performance, Uiagalelei said he could feel his mobility lacking in the pocket at times last season, which contributed to some of the 21 sacks Clemson allowed a season ago.
Breakdowns along the offensive line and holding onto the ball too long were also contributing factors. Regardless of the reason, Swinney said the “very first thing” Uiagalelei needs to improve on is avoiding sacks, most of which he took early in the season before being limited by a sprained knee. He was sacked seven times alone in Clemson’s opening loss to eventual national champion Georgia.
“I know looking back at it, if I lose weight, I can be a lot faster and can be able to be more mobile,” Uiagalelei said.
The high sack total was part of a rollercoaster first season as Clemson’s full-time starter for Uiagalelei, who completed just 55.6% of his passes and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9). He showed incremental improvement over the final six games, completing nearly 57% of his passes. That included a two-touchdown, turnover-free day in a win over Louisville and a 156.6 efficiency rating in helping Clemson rout Atlantic Division champ Wake Forest, easily his highest of the season.
There are other things the coaching staff wants Uiagalelei to work on, particularly when it comes to shoring his mechanics. Swinney is still confident his new-look quarterback will get there.
“He’s a really good athlete,” Swinney said. “And him working like he’s worked, I think it’s going to pay dividends for him.”
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