One of the biggest additions to the transfer portal upon its opening up on Monday, December 5 was Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei was a two-year starter for the Tigers, having a career with highs and lows that ended with him being replaced by true freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik in the team’s ACC Championship game matchup versus North Carolina.
Klubnik is looking like the quarterback of the future for Clemson, but Uiagalelei will now be looking for a new team for his future. Uiagalelei was a 5-star prospect in high school according to On3 Consensus, attending California powerhouse program St. John Bosco. He threw for 5,681 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions during his time with the Tigers, and certainly has a ton of physical upside standing at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds.
Many will be on the edge of their seats to see what school Uiagalelei chooses, and CBS Sports recently released what they believe are the top five destinations for Uiagalelei to land at this offseason, here is that list in order.
1.UCLA
Uiagalelei joining the Bruins would be a great fit geographically, with UCLA‘s campus not too far from his hometown of Bellflower, California. He’d also be joining forces with head coach Chip Kelly, who has proven to get the most out of quarterback talent at the college and NFL level, coaching players like Marcus Mariota, Michael Vicand most recently Dorian Thompson Robinson. Thomspon-Robinson had a senior breakout this season, establishing himself as one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the country. Uiagalelei also has dual threat capabilities, and could potentially be a solid fit paired with Kelly and his offense.
2.Oregon
Dan Lanning will be entering his second season as Oregon‘s head coach, and may be looking for yet another transfer quarterback to lead his team to success. Auburn transfer Bo Nix had a tremendous season this year for the Ducks, again as a dual threat quarterback like Uiagalelei. The Ducks will have a new offensive coordinator this season in the former UTSA co-offensive coordinator Will Stein, who helped elevate frank harris to a player ranked inside the top ten nationally in passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage.
3. Notre Dame
Another second-year head coach looking for a recharge at the quarterback position could be Marcus Freeman at Notre-Dame. Freeman’s day one starter Tyler Buchner went down early in the season, handling his offense over tho Drew Pyne who entered the transfer portal following the regular season. Notre Dame’s offense could use some more explosiveness in the passing game, and Uiagalelei running ability definitely wouldn’t hurt their already strong rushing attack.
4. Va
Inter-conference transfer portal moves have become more common making Virginia a viable option due to Uiagalelei’s history with Cavaliers’ head coach Tony Elliot. Elliot was Clemson’s offensive coordinator during Uiagalelei’s first two seasons with the Tigers, and Uiagalelei played some of his best football under Elliot in his two games playing for an injured Trevor Lawrence. Virginia starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong also entered the transfer portal this week, leaving an open spot for an incoming QB.
5.Arizona State
Rounding out the top five is Arizona State, which will be entering its first season in the post-Herm Edwards era. Former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham is the Sun Devils’ new head coach, who helped the aforementioned Bo Nix blossom this season in his first year with the Ducks as a transfer. Dillingham could do the same with Uiagalelei in an attempt to rebuild the program following a 3-9 season this year.
