After transferring to Oregon State this year, former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions through seven games this season. The junior has also rushed for 124 yards and five more scores on the ground.

With Oregon State, Uiagalelei has increased his passer rating (158.9), yards per attempt (8.9) and passing yards per game (224.7) from a season ago. He ranks tied for eighth nationally in points responsible for (120) and has helped lead the Beavers to a 6-1 record and current No. 12 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll.

In a recent episode of College Football Live, ESPN analysts Jordan Reid and Sam Acho weighed in on what’s different about Uiagalelei this year compared to when he was at Clemson.

Reid was asked why things are working out so well for Uiagalelei right now in Corvallis.

“The simple answer is fit, and I think with DJU, one of the biggest reasons why he wanted to leave Clemson was just because he didn’t think the fit was great offensively,” Reid said. “Schematically, Oregon State is doing a lot of things that fit his strengths. He’s being able to get under center. And how about this stat – he only had two under-center snaps last year at Clemson, this year he already (had) 46 (entering last Saturday’s game vs. UCLA).

“So, that goes to show you that they’re making the reads a little bit more simple. It’s not so much spread and shred with the offensive attack. It’s more condensed sets to where you can get him outside the pocket a little bit more, whether it’s bootlegs, sprint-outs or things like that where he’s able to complement the strong Oregon State running attack. He’s doing a really good job of distributing the ball.”

Acho added that he believes Uiagalelei is feeling less pressure at Oregon State and has been able to play more freely with the Beavers.

“It’s almost like there’s less pressure that you feel,” Acho said. “I remember it was almost like he was the heir apparent. DJU, when he came after Trevor Lawrence, had that huge game. All of a sudden he wasn’t what we thought, at least early in his career. Last year statistically wasn’t horrible at Clemson, but he needed a change of scenery.

“Now we’re seeing that with an Oregon State team that relies on their defense, Oregon State team that relies on their running game and doesn’t need the quarterback to be excellent. DJU has been excellent in the air and also on the ground, but doesn’t need to be. So, it’s actually given him this freedom to play more like himself.”

In his last three games with Oregon State — wins over Utah, Cal and UCLA — Uiagalelei has completed 63 percent of his passes for 745 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception.

Uiagalelei went 22-6 as a starter at Clemson. Overall, in 36 games from 2020-22, he completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 5,681 yards and 36 touchdowns with 17 interceptions, to go with 275 career carries for 913 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

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