Florida State Quarterback Could Reportedly Be Out "Long-Term"

The Seminoles might be without their most experienced quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (4) before the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Florida State kicked off an important game week against the Clemson Tigers by making a notable change to the depth chart. After cries from Seminole fans over the last month regarding the performance of the offense, the updated two-deep reflected redshirt freshman Brock Glenn as the co-starter with redshirt senior DJ Uiagalelei.

Head coach Mike Norvell claimed the switch wasn't due to an injury that Uiagalelei suffered late in the loss against SMU. However, it appears that Glenn could be the starting quarterback for the Seminoles moving forward.

READ MORE: Mike Norvell Provides An Update On Injury To Florida State's Starting Quarterback

According to 247Sport's Matt Zenitz, the injury to Uiagalelei's throwing hand might keep him out long-term. It's unclear exactly what the veteran signal-caller is dealing with but trainers were examining his hand on the sideline following a pick-six that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The ailment came after Uiagalelei suffered a finger injury on his opposite hand earlier in the contest. He's also been sporting a brace on his right knee since early in the preseason.

There's concern that the hand injury Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei suffered vs. SMU on Saturday may be a long-term injury, sources tell me and @BSonnone for @247Sports/@CBSSports https://t.co/m0OgboRKaQ pic.twitter.com/phetvcfvsW

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 30, 2024

Uiagalelei has struggled but Florida State's offense hasn't done him many favors in the process. Through the first five games of the season, he completed 84/156 passes (53.8%) for 1,065 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions. Half of those picks came in the loss to SMU.

It remains to be seen just how long he'll be sidelined. Norvell didn't dive into a specific timeline when discussing Uiagalelei's injury.

"DJ has something we're going to evaluate throughout the course of the week and see where it goes from there," Norvell said on Monday. "I thought Brock, going in, in all reality I said it after the game. After the interception and where the game was, it was decided I was going to make the change. Obviously DJU did have the injury there as well but just wanted to see that opportunity for Brock to go in and have a chance to execute."

"DJ didn't finish the game because one, he couldn't finish the game," Norvell added. "I've said I was going to put Brock in at that moment too but obviously right now there is a little bit of uncertainty in status."

If Uiagalelei is unable to play against the Tigers, Glenn will make his first start of the season and the third of his young college career. True freshman Luke Kromenhoek would be his backup. In limited action last weekend, Glenn didn't connect on any of his four passes, missing on a potential touchdown throw to Darion Williamson and having a well-placed throw dropped by Landen Thomas.

This would be another tough situation for Glenn to be thrown into after he stepped in for the team in the ACC Championship and Orange Bowl following a season-ending injury to Jordan Travis. Changing quarterbacks more than likely won't fix what the Seminoles bring to the table on offense but maybe the redshirt freshman can provide some sort of spark.

Glenn is in his second year with the program after joining Florida State as a four-star prospect in the 2023 class. He spent most of his time learning behind Travis last year and was out for a portion of the season following an injury in the home opener. Shortly after his return, Glenn was thrust into action during the toughest part of the schedule.

In six appearances, Glenn has completed 19/55 passes for 229 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He's rushed 19 times for 22 yards and a score.

Florida State and Clemson will match up on Saturday, October 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 EST and the game will be televised on ESPN.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m. EST: ESPN's Pete Thamel reports that Uiagalelei has a broken finger on his throwing hand. He's expected to miss multiple weeks and is exploring options for recovery.

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