DJ or Cade? ACC analysts talk Clemson football’s 2022 quarterback outlook

Clemson football spent most of Wednesday answering the question that will, for better or worse, define its 2022 season: What’s the deal at quarterback?

Incumbent DJ Uiagalelei was Trevor Lawrence’s heir apparent last summer, but his up-and-down 2021 season inspired little long-term confidence. Now his seat’s even hotter thanks to the presence of highly touted freshman Cade Klubnik.

Head coach Dabo Swinney threw his full weight behind Uiagalelei this week, noting how former star Clemson quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Lawrence also made mistakes as first-time starters but Uiagalelei’s were “magnified” by the injuries and offensive struggles around him.

Uiagalelei threw for 2,246 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games last year, leading Clemson to six consecutive wins to end its season but ranking among the ACC’s worst quarterbacks by standard and advanced metrics.

The 6-foot-4 Uiagalelei has also lost about 30 pounds (from 265 to 235) since Clemson’s December Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State and said he’s in “the best shape of my life” entering his junior year.

Still, Klubnik looms large. He’s a former five-star recruit and Elite 11 MVP who led his high school to consecutive undefeated seasons and state championships in Texas’ top classification. He also impressed in limited spring game action.

The State caught up with two ESPN/ACC Network analysts for their thoughts on Clemson’s quarterback situation. Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

What’s the next step for DJ Uiagalelei?

Dalen Cuff, ACC Network studio analyst: Sports is wild. It’s a big mental game. I think he had his confidence shaken a little bit and then battled through that. He’s a pocket passer. He’s not really going to create time with his legs. So how that offense tweaks and looks different this year will be important, potentially. And him being able to take some things off the ball sometimes, too.

He’s got a cannon, but sometimes it’s the touch passes, the right reads, being able to make the right decisions and being able to realize that he may not have to do everything. I thought he already tried to do (those things) last year. And then, play within yourself and maintain your confidence when that guy behind you could be a stud. It may be just like Kelly Bryant when Trevor (Lawrence) came and took his spot. That’s got to be in the back of his head — he’s a competitor.

So how he handles camp, how he handles the first couple games and being able to play with confidence is a really critical thing. Even if he’s not playing well, it’s not shaking too much and not being worried about the other stuff. It’s much easier for us to sit here and say that rather than actually do it.

Kelly Gramlich, ACC Network studio analyst and former Clemson women’s basketball player: We just had (former Florida State quarterback and current ACC Network analyst) EJ Manuel on our podcast, and it was great to listen to his thoughts. I think a lot of what’s next for DJ is the mental side of the game. He has all the tools. He has a great body to play the position. He’s got a great arm. I think it’s the mental side of knowing when to throw the ball away, knowing when to tuck and run, being able to stay in that pocket. That was a big issue for him last year.

And some of that is trusting in your O-line, trusting in your wide receivers. But I think a lot of it’s mental. And there’s a confidence aspect to this. Him starting with the Georgia game … I think any human being out there that started with that game, their confidence would have taken a shot. Clemson’s wide receivers didn’t play well. There was a lot that went into that (loss).

But I think a lot of it’s mental for DJ. And then the second thing is being able to make the routine plays. He can make the wild plays. He can take the ball and drop it in a bucket to one of those wide receivers. But being able to hit those screen passes and take some velocity off the ball and have that touch, that’s what I think we need to see from DJ.

How can Clemson’s offense bounce back after 2021 struggles?

Cuff: They started 4-3, but to get to 10 wins again for the 11th straight year is an impressive streak. Very few teams have ever been able to do that. I would say that they were still a young team last year. They have a lot of guys coming back right now. Their defense will be great even though they had some injury issues. So staying healthy is always a big key.

But I do think the quarterback play is going to be important. Their ability to run the ball, it’s going be really important. How (Will) Shipley performs. But again, that offensive line is going to be critical as well. So I think it’s the trenches, which all of us seem to skip right over. The battles in the trenches, being able to dominate both sides of the scrimmage like they’ve done in years past, will be really critical as that team moves forward.

Gramlich: I think what stood out to me was just the offense and the lack of production. When you look at the numbers compared to the rest of the ACC and you see DJ’s way down there at the bottom of the quarterbacks, you see the scoring offense is way down there, the yards per game is way down there, it’s really shocking.

Because Clemson has had great defenses, but when it came on the scene in the early 2000s with (former offensive coordinator) Chad Morris, it was an offense-led program at that time. And we’ve really never seen a Clemson offense struggle like that. Even with Kelly Bryant, that offense was still putting up more than 30 points per game.

So that’s really the big question. Can this offense be more of a force? Because the days of winning a national title with your defense first and foremost? Those days are gone. Alabama doesn’t even do that anymore. So I think that’s a big question.