FSU football: How DJ Uiagalelei will find success at FSU

DJ Uiagalelei was once a highly touted 5-star recruit succeeding Trevor Lawrence at Clemson. Uiagalelei's first year under center in Death Valley was underwhelming, to say the least, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns while leading the Tigers to an 11-3 record. DJ struggled at Clemson throwing the ball, leading to him transferring to Oregon State last season, where his QBR ranked 12th nationally and put up the best stats of his college career.

Uiagalelei once again entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season and was highly sought-after by many schools, but Mike Norvell once again worked his magic and reeled DJ to Tallahassee. Many Noles fans were and still are skeptical of what Uiagalelei can bring to the table, but he has had a great Spring, and with the weapons surrounding him, he is set up for success in the Garnet and Gold. Norvell has come out multiple times throughout the Spring, in support of Uiagalelei, recently saying, "I like the speed of how he's processing and very excited about where he is."

Uiagalelei is a quarterback who isn't afraid to use his legs, so FSU fans should expect a run-heavy offense this upcoming season. Norvell could focus on letting DJ use his legs as much as he can, especially with returning RB Lawrance Toafili, we could see a ton of play-action use this season. This is also the best and most experienced offensive line DJ has ever lined up behind, with four out of the five projected starters being seniors, as well as Darius Washington coming off of an All-ACC first-teamer season. With all of these factors, the door is going to be wide-open for DJ to scramble a ton, especially against the blitz. I would not be surprised if we saw Mike Norvell draw up more QB runs than we have seen in the past. Norvell loved running Jordan Travis, and with a bigger and more mobile QB this season, we could see a heavy-dose of designed QB runs.

FSU fans and the rest of the nation should be expecting big things out of DJ this season, and it is warranted. With weapons all over the field like aforementioned Lawrance Toafili and Malik Benson, Uiagalelei is primed for success in Tallahassee.