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- Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei realized that he was heavy after a difficult 2021 season.
- He has lost a lot of weight since December and is ready to compete for the starting job and a national title.
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When D.J. Uiagalelei committed to Clemson in the Class of 2020, he was 6-foot-4.5, 246 pounds and listed as a five-star recruit. When he took the field for the Tigers as QB1 last season, he was listed at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds. By the end of the season, Uiagalelei was playing close to 260 pounds.
That will not be the case in 2022. He has lost a lot of weight.
Uiagalelei will compete with five-star Class of 2202 recruit Cade Klubnik and grad transfer Hunter Johnson for the starting quarterback position this fall as the incumbent. As things currently stand, it is considered his job to lose.
However, after his season last year, there are questions to be answered. Uiagalelei took over for Trevor Lawrence in 2021 and finished with only nine touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.
Although Clemson finished its year with its 10th win in the Cheez-It Bowl, the Tigers failed to win the ACC Championship for the firs time in six years after being ranked in the top five during the preseason. In addition, Clemson’s streak of six-straight College Football Playoff appearances came to an end.
A lot of that came down to the quarterback position. For such a highly-touted prospect, Uiagalelei struggled to find his groove and was battling through some injuries during the season.
“I felt like (last year) was a blessing in disguise. Definitely the goal is to get to national championship. But looking back at it from a different perspective, it was definitely a year I could grow and learn through adversity. Just to go through different challenges that make you a better person and player on the other side. I was thankful for it and thankful I took the challenges from last year head on, and I’m excited for this upcoming year.”
He says that the outlook for 2022 is as strong as ever.
“I feel like my confidence is at an all-time high. I feel like it’s at the same spot it’s been throughout by whole career. I’m just ready to go out an compete and take it one day at a time, one rep at a time. Be a leader and be a great teammate for my team.”
For starters, Uiagalelei is healthy from an injury standpoint.
“Knee is getting better, almost 100%, finger is 100% and everything has been going good.”
He is also feeling and looking better from an overall health standpoint. The California-native said that he realized that he was out of shape and eating a lot at the end of the 2021 season and has changed his entire diet.
“After the Iowa State game, I went back home and I was eating a lot. I was like, ‘Dang I have to lose some weight.’ I knew that was one my main things, to get a little lighter on my knees and lose weight.”
As a result, Uiagalelei is down about 25 pounds from 260 to 235/240.
“For me, yeah I knew I wanted to lose some weight, get down, longevity wise, career wise you kind of see the TB12 diet, stuff like that. Your body is like a temple. You want to treat your body like a Ferrari. Stop putting fast food in myself. Try and treat it like a high-engine car, like a fancy car. That’s what I’ve kind of been doing. Eating right. Working out twice a day. Meal prep.”
He added that his goal is to get down to the 230-235 range, which would be the lightest that he has played since early high school.
“It wasn’t a problem (being that higher weight), but I feel like if I want to be the best quarterback I can be, then I feel like losing weight is a big part of that. It’s a goal of mine, that mindset to be the best player I can be.”
In turn, it is Uiagalelei’s goal to move better at the lower weight.
“Mobility-wise. That was the big thing coach Streeter and coach (Dabo) Swinney talked about. More mobile in the pocket. That’s the biggest thing.”
Uiagalelei said that looking back, he could have been faster and more mobile in the pocket last season if he wasn’t so heavy. He thinks that this year will be a big turning point for him as a player and for Clemson as a team.
The Tigers will conclude their 15 total practice sessions over the next few weeks and finish up spring ball with the Spring Game on April 3rd. At that point, the quarterback picture will begin to look more clear, but it seems like a healthy, lighter Uiagalelei will be in charge of the offense.