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DJ Uiagalelei stats, Florida State quarterback history 2024
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DJ Uiagalelei stats, Florida State quarterback history 2024

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Replacing Jordan Travis as Florida State’s quarterback won’t be an easy task. DJ Uiagalelei certainly has some experience doing just that.

Uiagalelei is the new starting QB for FSU football in 2024. Travis was beloved in Tallahassee, led a dynamic offense and garnered a lot of Heisman Trophy consideration before a horrific leg injury ended his 2023 season early.

Coach Mike Norvell brought in a number of new faces through the transfer portal. Chief among them is Uiagalelei, the former No. 1 quarterback recruit who previously played for FSU when he was Clemson’s quarterback. He was the heir apparent to Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, but his time with the Tigers fell apart when he was replaced in the 2022 ACC Championship Game by Cade Klubnik.

After a solid season at Oregon State, Uiagalelei has come to Florida State looking to prove he’s still worthy of a high NFL Draft pick. He’ll get his first chance with the Seminoles on Saturday against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. Here’s what you need to know about FSU’s new starting QB, including his stats, family and, first of all, how to pronounce his name.

How do you pronounce DJ Uiagalelei’s name? What is the ethnicity of FSU quarterback? Is he from Hawaii?

David John Uiagalelei goes by the name DJ. He is of Samoan descent, like Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. In Samoan names, when you see “ag,” you pronounce it by changing the “a” sound to a “u” and adding an “n.” For example, Uiagalelei is pronounced “oo-ee-UNG-ah-leh-lay.”

Uiagalelei’s parents emigrated from Samoa to Hawaii, but DJ was born in Inland Empire, California.

How old is DJ Uiagalelei? How many years does he still have to play?

DJ Uiagalelei was born on April 17, 2001, which makes him 23 years old. He played three seasons at Clemson and one at Oregon State before transferring to Florida State for the 2024 season. This will be his fifth and final season of NCAA eligibility.

Where did DJ Uiagalelei play high school football?

DJ Uiagalelei was a five-star quarterback recruit out of St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. He was named the 2018 National Offensive Player of the Year by USA TODAY and was rated the No. 2 overall recruit of the Class of 2020 by 247 Sports. As the top-rated pro-style quarterback recruit, he led St. John Bosco to a national ranking of No. 1.

Why did DJ Uiagalelei leave Clemson?

DJ Uiagalelei has committed to Clemson and was expected to replace Trevor Lawrence to keep the Tigers in the race for a national championship. He started two games in his freshman season in 2020 and flashed his potential by throwing for 781 yards and four touchdowns in those starts, including 439 yards and two TDs in a double-overtime thriller at Notre Dame.

But things didn’t end well for Uiagalelei when Lawrence left. He threw for 2,246 yards and just nine touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 2021. He returned in 2022 with 2,521 yards, 22 TDs and seven INTs, but there will still be signs of struggle. He’s thrown for more than 300 yards just once, and in the regular-season finale against South Carolina, he went 8 for 29 for 99 yards. Dabo Swinney pulled him for Cade Klubnik in the first quarter of the ACC championship game, and two days after the freshman led the Tigers to a 39-10 victory, Uiagalelei entered the transfer portal.

“I didn’t want to do what I did at Clemson,” Uiagalelei told The Athletic after arriving at Oregon State. “I didn’t really like the scheme we did there. I didn’t think we did much. I thought it was very basic.

“It didn’t help me as a quarterback and it didn’t play to my strengths. I wanted to go somewhere where I could play to my strengths and develop for the NFL. Play-action, work under center, throw the ball deep.”

Uiagalelei and FSU will play Klubnik and Clemson on October 5 in Tallahassee.

Does DJ Uiagalelei have a brother? Matayo Uiagalelei plays for Oregon Football

Matayo Uiagalelei is DJ’s younger brother. He was born in 2005. He played with DJ for one season at St. John Bosco, catching passes from his brother, and now plays for Oregon.

The Uiagalelei brothers faced off last season when Matayo’s Ducks hosted DJ’s Oregon State Beavers. Matayo sacked his brother in the Ducks’ 31-7 win to close out the regular season, and the two had an emotional meeting after the game.

Was DJ Uiagalelei drafted in the MLB? Is he going to play baseball?

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Uiagalelei’s favorite baseball team from his youth, selected him on the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft with the 610th overall pick.

Uiagalei played baseball in high school but did not advance to college. However, an MLB.com report from draft day says he agreed to the pick as a backup plan.

Is DJ Uiagalelei an NFL prospect?

Uiagalelei had a strong season at Oregon State in 2023, throwing for a career-high 2,638 yards for 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, his completion percentage dropped to 57.1%, and he still hasn’t thrown for more than 300 yards.

Uiagalelei opted to re-enter the transfer portal instead of entering the NFL Draft, hoping to bolster his resume with another season of college football. He announced on New Year’s Day that he would be committing to Florida State.

DJ Uiagalelei’s Girlfriend: Who is Ava Pritchard?

Born in Texas in 2000, Ava Pritchard played volleyball at Clemson from 2018 to 2021. She earned her master’s degree from Clemson in 2022.

Pritchard followed Uiagalelei to Oregon when he was transferred there, and she has posted photos of her time in Tallahassee. The two got engaged on May 11, 2024, in Hawaii.

DJ Uiagalelei statistics

Below you can see DJ Uiagalelei’s statistics for the 2024 American football season:

  • Completions/Attempts: 695/1.176
  • Completion percentage: 59.1%
  • Passing yards: 8,319
  • Passing Touchdowns: 57
  • Interceptions: 24
  • QB rating: 130.4
  • Rushes: 343
  • Running yards: 1,132
  • Touchdowns on the ground: 21

Florida State vs Georgia Tech: How to watch, time, TV schedule

  • Time: Saturday afternoon August 24th
  • Place: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
  • TV: ESPN
  • Streaming: ESPN+ ($10.99 per month), WatchESPN and the ESPN app (TV provider required), Fubo (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)
  • Streaming options include Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
  • Week 0: vs. Georgia Tech, Saturday afternoon, August 24 in Dublin, Ireland
  • Week 1: vs. Boston College, 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 2
  • Week 2: Open
  • Week 3: vs. Memphis, Saturday afternoon September 14
  • Week 4: vs. California, Saturday, September 21
  • Week 5: at SMU, Saturday September 28
  • Week 6: vs. Clemson, Saturday, October 5
  • Week 7: Open
  • Week 8: at Duke, 7:00 PM Friday October 18
  • Week 9: in Miami, Saturday October 26
  • Week 10: vs. North Carolina, Saturday, November 2
  • Week 11: at Notre Dame, 7:30pm Saturday, November 9
  • Week 12: Open
  • Week 13: vs. Charleston Southern, Saturday, November 23
  • Week 14: vs. Florida, Saturday, November 30

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