Spring Competition Has DJ Uiagalelei In 'Great Spot' Heading Into Fall Camp

Clemson offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said the competition Cade Klubnik provided during the spring has made DJ Uiagalelei a better quarterback.

Jason Priester All Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C.- Competition tends to make everyone better.

After a season that saw DJ Uiagalaeli rank at or near the bottom in most statistical categories for ACC quarterbacks, Clemson needs better play from its starting signal caller in 2022.

Offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter thinks the arrival of Cade Klubnik, the number one quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class, helped contribute to Uiagalelei stepping up this spring and showing marked signs of improvement. 

"I definitely think it has," Streeter said. "Anytime you have competition, you're going to have more of a sense of urgency to get better. And you know, it started this spring. I mean, he had a really good spring and he got better. And there was that was very obvious to me."

It's the kind of competition Uiagalelei didn't really have one season ago.

"It helps when you got some guys that come in and push it," Streeter said. "And so there's been some guys that have come into the program that have been able to do that which is helpful to everybody."

Getting better as a player is a challenge Uiagalelei has met head on and Streeter thinks the struggles his quarterback endured a season ago will only help him to be a better quarterback as he enters his second season as the full-time starter.

"I'm just proud of where he is as far as taking on that challenge," Streeter said. "Not just learning from the mistakes he had last year, but building on some of the confidence that he had last year from overcoming some stuff. And then also, you know, competing each day, and he like I said had a great spring He's in a great spot right now."

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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