Swinney Compares QB Situation to Lawrence vs. Uiagalelei in 2020

Clemson coach says Klubnik’s opportunities will be based on flow of game and season

Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY Network

CLEMSON, S.C. — Dabo Swinney says Clemson’s quarterback situation this season will be similar to the plan they used during DJ Uiagalelei’s freshman season.

They do want former five-star quarterback Cade Klubnik to play, but they want to do it based on the flow of a game and the flow of the season.

With offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter and Swinney saying in recent weeks the freshman was definitely going to play this year, some have taken it to mean Klubnik will be a part of the game plan and may have scripted plays.

That does not appear to be the case, at least that is what Swinney implied during his weekly press conference as the Tigers get set for their season-opener against Georgia Tech on Labor Day night.

“I think it is more like DJ and Trevor [Lawrence],” the Clemson head coach said. “That is how I see it. Just like when DJ came in here and you wanted to give him as much opportunity as we could within the flow of a game and the flow of a season. And that is what we did.”

Uiagalelei played in 10 of the Tigers’ 12 games in 2020, including the two starts he got when Lawrence tested positive for COVID-19.

“Obviously, he had to start a couple of games, but this is the same situation. DJ is the starter, and we will certainly give Cade as many opportunities as we can to play,” Swinney said. “But it will be the same as it was when DJ came in. It will be based on the flow of the game and the flow of the season.”

Swinney is excited about all three of his scholarship quarterbacks. He said Uiagalelei, Klubnik and transfer Hunter Johnson took the majority of the reps in camp and all three of them performed well when given the opportunity.

“I can’t tell you how fortunate we are to have the guys that we got,” Swinney said.

Johnson, of course, started his college career at Clemson in 2017, but transferred to Northwestern in the spring of 2018. He returned to Clemson as a graduate student earlier this summer and is using his COVID year to cap where his college career started.

“DJ has been great. Cade has been awesome, and so has Hunter Johnson,” Swinney said. “I am confident in all of those guys. It is important to give Cade some opportunities as we go through this season. But this is it for Hunter and DJ has great aspirations. He graduates in December, so it is important to get Cade ready to roll. And hopefully, it will happen in a positive way as we go through the season.”  

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