D.J. Uiagalelei will make his 18th career start at quarterback for Clemson against Louisiana Tech on Saturday night.
Uiagalelei was the #1 pro-style quarterback in country coming out of St. John Bosco HS in Bellflower, CA in the class of 2020.
Through 24 career games (17 starts) at Clemson, the 6'4, 235-pound quarterback has completed 59% of his throws for 3,601 yards, 17 TDs, and 11 INTs. He's also rushed for 423 yards and 9 TDs.
After an up and down 2021 season that saw Clemson finish 10-3, expectations are ramping up for Uiagalelei as he enters 2022.
Through 2 games this season, his numbers have improved with a 69% completion rate to go along with 441 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT.
Let's take a deeper dive into some of the numbers, per Pro Football Focus.
Passing Numbers by Level
At LOS or Behind | 15/18 for 80 yards, 1 TD
0-10 Yards Downfield | 15/19 for 145 yards, 1 INT
11-20 Yards Downfield | 5/10 for 75 yards, 2 TDs
20+ Yards Downfield | 5/9 for 141 yards
Passing Pressure
Kept Clean | 34/49 for for 387 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Under Pressure | 6/11 for 54 yards, 1 TD
Not Blitzed | 15/23 for 174 yards
When Blitzed | 25/37 for 267 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Uiagalelei seems to have settled into the position better as a third-year player in 2022, but the Clemson offense has still had its struggles early on in 2022.
It's hard to pin point what the exact issue can be at times, but the Bulldogs will certainly be looking to force Uiagalelei to beat them with his arm on Saturday night.
Keep an eye on Clemson's young and inexperienced receiver corp that has struggled to create separation at times and has 9 drops through the first two games.
One x-factor for the Tigers will be TE Davis Allen. Allen only has 3 catches for 68 yards in his first two games this season but has been a security weapon for Uiagalelei on third down the last two seasons.
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