When Clemson left Notre Dame Stadium in the early hours of Nov. 8, 2020, there was little doubt the team had found its next great quarterback.
That night, DJ Uiagalelei made his first career start in place of Trevor Lawrence, sidelined by COVID-19. Uiagalelei passed for 439 yards, the most ever by a visiting player against Notre Dame. The 235-pound Californian dissected a defense featuring safety Kyle Hamilton and other future NFL players, completing 29 of 44 passes with two touchdowns. Clemson lost the game 47-40 in two overtimes but found the next star in a line of quarterbacks that included Deshaun Watson and Lawrence.
Back then, the idea that Uiagalelei would leave Clemson after the 2022 season seemed highly likely. But rather than exiting to the NFL draft, Uiagalelei entered the transfer portal Monday, two days after being benched early in the ACC championship game. After two tumultuous seasons as Clemson's starting quarterback, Uiagalelei is moving on, as is Clemson, which hopes for better results with its next talented, young signal-caller, Cade Klubnik.
DJU's detour will go down as one of the bigger mysteries in Clemson's run of excellence under coach Dabo Swinney, who continued to back Uiagalelei as the starter, even maybe longer than he should have. Uiagalelei had more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) during the 2021 season. His numbers improved this season but never resembled what Clemson expected following that night at Notre Dame in 2020.
There should still be plenty of interest in Uiagalelei, ESPN's No. 1 pocket-passing quarterback and No. 43 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class. A return to the West Coast certainly seems possible, but other programs without entrenched starters also could provide the right platform for a fresh start.
Here are seven programs that could make sense as DJU's transfer destination.
Check out DJ Uiagalelei's 2022 highlights with Clemson.
UCLA Bruins
Uiagalelei grew up east of Los Angeles and could look to transfer closer to home. UCLA will lose record-setting quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who improved throughout his career under coach Chip Kelly. A scheme change and working under Kelly could be exactly what the strong-armed Uiagalelei needs to recapture the promise from early in his career.
The Bruins were active in the portal last year and landed a commitment from Dillon Gabriel before he diverted to Oklahoma. Ethan Garbers, a transfer from Washington, returns along with several other options, including freshman Justyn Martin, an ESPN 300 recruit in the 2022 class. Click here for UCLA's 2023 recruiting class.
Oregon Ducks
Uiagalelei picked Clemson over Oregon coming out of high school and could see the Ducks as the perfect program to revive his career. Quarterback Bo Nix's transformation with Oregon after several up-and-down seasons at Auburn likely will resonate with Uiagalelei. Although offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham left for Arizona State, Oregon likely will keep its structure in place with new playcaller Will Stein from UTSA. Nix could return to the Ducks in 2023, which would complicate a move for Uiagalelei.
The Ducks return a solid group of players around its quarterbacks, which include former ESPN top-70 recruit Ty Thompson and incoming freshman Dante Moore, ESPN's No. 3 overall player in the 2023 class, entering the mix. Uiagalelei already has excelled in the name, image and likeness space but could grow his platform even more at a school like Oregon. Another factor is Uiagalelei's younger brother, Matayo, ESPN's No. 65 overall recruit in the 2023 class, who is considering Oregon and several other top programs. Click here for Oregon's 2023 recruiting class.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Uiagalelei could go back to the scene of his greatest performance for a career reboot. Notre Dame needs a boost at quarterback, as Tyler Buchner missed most of this season with injury and Drew Pyne recently entered the transfer portal. There could be more changes coming with the Irish, so Uiagalelei would need to get a good idea of the offensive plan before making a move.
Notre Dame offers a major platform, and coach Marcus Freeman is working to upgrade the team's overall recruiting, especially at positions like wide receiver. The Irish had success with their last transfer quarterback, Wisconsin's Jack Coan, who had 3,150 pass yards and 25 touchdowns in his lone season. Notre Dame added an ESPN 300 quarterback this year (Steve Angeli) and has another one set to arrive in 2023 (Kenny Minchey). But the team has no one who matches Uiagalelei's experience. Click here for Notre Dame's 2023 recruiting class.
Auburn Tigers
Uiagalelei visited the Plains during his recruitment back in 2018, and might consider returning there to suit up for Tigers coach Hugh Freeze. Auburn certainly needs more competition at quarterback, and Freeze runs a QB-friendly offense and typically stacks up talented wide receivers. Freeze's work in transforming Malik Willis, who struggled at Auburn before transferring to Liberty, likely will appeal to Uiagalelei and his camp.
He would get a chance to play in the SEC and develop his game against top defenders. Clemson and Auburn also have many similarities, so the environment wouldn't be a big adjustment for Uiagalelei. Auburn should regain Robby Ashford, who showed some promise this season, and added an ESPN 300 recruit earlier this year in Holden Geriner. But there's not much depth in the quarterback room. Click here for Auburn's 2023 recruiting class.
Oregon State Beavers
If Oregon isn't the right fit for Uiagalelei, he could look to rival Oregon State, which needs an upgrade at quarterback but has many other pieces in place under coach Jonathan Smith. The Beavers made a push for quarterback transfer J.T. Daniels last year, and likely will be active in the portal space, especially after their first nine-win season since 2012.
The quarterback play somewhat surprisingly hasn't been great at Oregon State, but Smith is a sharp offensive coach who incorporates many pro-style elements into the scheme. Uiagalelei might benefit from a lower-profile setting where he can develop his game and make the necessary improvements. Quarterback Chance Nolan is transferring and while Ben Gulbranson has a nice record as the starter, his passing numbers are very modest. Three-star recruit Aidan Chiles is set to arrive next year. Click here for Oregon State's 2023 recruiting class.
Florida Gators
If Uiagalelei is looking to stay in the Southeast and fill an obvious quarterback hole for a notable program, Florida could be an excellent fit. Gators starter Anthony Richardson on Monday announced he's declaring for the NFL draft. Backup Jalen Kitna has been dismissed from the team, so Florida is really starting over at the most important position. The Gators are adding Jalen Rashada, ESPN's No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 27 overall player in the 2023 class.
But Billy Napier and his staff still likely will be aggressive in the portal for immediate quarterback help, and could see Uiagalelei as a player they can revive and improve. Florida has some skill-position talent returning, but Uiagalelei will have to evaluate how he fits into the system. Click here for Florida's 2023 recruiting class.
Miami Hurricanes
There's a decent chance Uiagalelei's next stop takes him outside the ACC, but if he remains in the league, Miami would make some sense. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal recruited Uiagalelei at Oregon and finished second for his services. Miami is coming off a 5-7 season and has some major question marks at quarterback and throughout the entire offense to sort out.
Uiagalelei would need to evaluate the landscape, especially if Tyler Van Dyke comes back. Will Miami make a coordinator change with Josh Gattis? There's some excitement around Jacurri Brown, who performed well in a win over Georgia Tech this season. But Miami also could look for another seasoned signal-caller. Uiagalelei already would have familiarity with many teams on the schedule, and would face his Clemson teammates in a home game next fall. Click here for Miami's 2023 recruiting class.