Sources: Uiagalelei expected to pick Oregon St
9:37 PM ET Pete ThamelESPN Former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is expected to
move to Oregon
State, sources told ESPN on Friday night. An announcement is anticipated in the coming days, according to sources.Uiagalelei, a former ESPN top-50 hire who went 22-6 as a starter at Clemson, is one of
the most talented players in the NCAA transfer portal.Uiagalelei hails from Southern California, and his choice to head back West will connect him with one of West Coast’s
ascending programs. Oregon State is coming off a 10-3 season, which included a 30-3 blowout of Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl.2 Related At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Uiagalelei has elite arm skill, but he completed less than 60 %of his passes in his Clemson career, tossing 36 touchdowns and 17
interceptions.Oregon State returns all 5 starters on the offensive line and has among the leading young tailbacks in the country in Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Damien Martinez, who ran for 982 yards.Uiagalelei will need to beat out incumbent starter Ben Gulbranson, who went 7-1 as a starter for the Beavers this season. Chance Nolan, who began the season as Oregon State’s starter, is in the transfer portal.Uiagalelei entered Clemson as one of the nation’s top quarterback employees in 2020. He
teased stardom in his freshman year, throwing for 439 yards in a double-overtime loss at Notre Dame. It marked the most yards by an opposing quarterback at Notre Dame Stadium.But from there, Uiagalelei never rather fulfilled the prodigious expectations. He played solidly for extended stretches, however Clemson missed the College Football Playoff in both of his seasons as the school’s primary starter, 2021 and 2022. That two-year stretch began the heels of Clemson reaching the CFP 6 straight times.Uiagalelei got pulled from the beginning task in the very first quarter of the ACC title game, leading to what seemed an altering of the guard with skilled freshman Cade Klubnik. Uiagalelei entered the portal a couple of days later.Uiagalelei has 3 years of eligibility remaining. And while he has actually drifted from the three-and-done path that has ended up being an expectation for many leading prospects, he has found a program that
has a strong track record of establishing quarterbacks.Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith and offensive planner Brian Lindgren will attempt to unlock the arm talent of Uiagalelei, who revealed unique improvement this year after he slimmed down and ran more designed quarterback run plays. He set career highs in passing lawns(2,521 )and passing touchdowns(22)along with in hurrying lawns(545)and rushing goals(7). Smith is a previous college star at Oregon State, and Lindgren has actually coached quarterbacks
in college considering that 2008. The Beavers’strong offending line and run game will take some pressure off Uiagalelei if he wins the job.Uiagalelei will be one of the highest-regarded recruits to play at Oregon State in recent years. He was the No. 43 general recruit in the Class of 2020. Oregon State has actually signed simply 3 ESPN 300 players because 2006, with guard Isaac Seumalo, ranked No. 19 in 2012, being the highest.The presence of Uiagalelei in Corvallis
will enliven the rivalry with Oregon that’s known as “The Civil War.”His more youthful bro Matayo, an ESPN 300 defensive end prospect, devoted to Oregon this week. That suggests the brothers could be lining up across from each other next season in one of the Pac-12’s most significant competitions.