DJ Uiagalelei did not have the sophomore campaign he dreamed of in the 2021 season. The Clemson quarterback, who was the heir apparent to former Tigers star Trevor Lawrence, entered the season with plenty of hype, and even became the face of Dr. Pepper’s national ad campaign with a name, image and likeness deal weeks before he officially began his first year as starting quarterback.
However, on the field, Uiagalelei threw for 2,246 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing just 55.6% of his passes. But Uiagalelei’s lack of success did not solely fall on his shoulders last season. The Tigers, who finished 10–3 and 6–2 in ACC play, dealt with an array of changes within their offense from the center position, offensive line and at one point was missing several wide receivers.
Despite Uiagalelei’s struggles and the obstacles he faced within Clemson’s offense, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney recently defended his quarterback and believes that the 2022 season will be a good one for him.
