Dabo Swinney Says Clemson Has Never Had QB Room Like One Tigers Have Now

Head coach Dabo Swinney believes the Tigers currently have the best quarterback room since he's been at Clemson.

Jason Priester All Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C.- Dabo Swinney had some high praise for his quarterback room on Tuesday, as the head coach met with the media for the first time since the spring.

After being short on arms heading into fall camp last year, the Tigers now have six quarterbacks on the roster, giving Swinney a group unlike any he's had before.

"I mean we've never had a quarterback room like this," Swinney said. "I have never gone into a fall camp with a quarterback room like we have on this team. I mean I'm, I'm super excited about it."

It all starts with the two guys at the top of the depth chart, DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik and the work both have been putting in over the summer.

"Because man DJ and where he is and what he's done, and how he's worked, it's just, it's amazing," Swinney said. "It's been awesome this summer in just the comments from his teammates." 

"And then Cade is, as I told you in the spring, he's everything you could hope he would be and more. But now he's 195 pounds. He was 179 when he got here in January. You see him, just like when you see DJ, you see a complete transformation. So the fact that he's gone through the spring, and now he's going through all the summers, getting all the installation in, I'm just really excited about where he is."

Clemson also brought in graduate transfer Hunter Johnson. The sixth-year senior not only brings a wealth of experience to the room, but he was also one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2017 recruiting class.

"Then getting Hunter Johnson here," Swinney said. "I can't tell you how many comments I've had from our players on Hunter Johnson. The type of leader he is, his skill. He's a heck of a player. He's had a lot of ups and downs but he's a six-year veteran who's been through a lot. And you know what he brings to that room, especially for DJ and Cade is man, you don't have that many quarterback rooms that have that level of talent and readiness available."

Hunter Helms, Billy Wiles and incoming freshman Trent Pearman also give the Tigers three underclassmen that Swinney believes adds another dimension to the room, giving his team plenty of quality depth.

"Then Billy Wiles, Hunter Helms, and Trent Pearman coming in here," Swinney said. "We've just got a really good group of functional quarterbacks that we really haven't had like that. So we're excited about the room."

The Tigers, who went 10-3 in 2021 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Poll, are the fourth team on FanDuel Sportsbook's list to win it all in 2022.

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