FSU Football Star Earns Unique Ranking Among College Football Quarterbacks

Where does the transfer Florida State quarterback rank among college football in his position?

Florida State football quarterback DJ Uiagalelei takes part in the final Tour of Duty winter workouts ahead of 2024 spring practices on Thursday, March 7, 2024. / Ehsan Kassim/Tallahassee Democrat / USA

The Florida State Seminoles are shaping up for what could be another incredible college football season in Tallahassee, but plenty of that relies on transfer quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.

Jordan Travis was one of the best quarterbacks in college football a season ago, and it was in part because of his veteran presence. He had developed plenty and seen a lot over the course of his college football career. The same is true for Uiagalelei.

Having one of the nation's best seems to be the standard for Florida State moving forward in the Mike Norvell era. So, where does Uiagalelei rank across the nation?

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ESPN's David Hale ranked the quarterback situation for each of the 134 FBS programs ahead of the 2024 season. Uiagalelei was placed in Tier 5b.

"No first-year transfer finished last season with a better Total QBR than Uiagalelei (81.0). Uiagalelei improved his Total QBR by 21.6 from 2021 to 2022 and by 16.2 from 2022 to 2023," Hale wrote.

Uiagalelei is exactly what Florida State needs in 2024. He's an experienced quarterback who can help bridge eras as Travis' long college football career ended and young talents like Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek continue to develop. Uiagalelei has grown and benefitted from a new situation and will have an opportunity to take one final leap as a college football quarterback while sporting garnet and gold this season.

"One more on Uiagalelei, pointed out by FSU coach Mike Norvell: In 2021, Clemson called a designed run for Uiagalelei on first down 28 times. In 2022, it ran him on first down 36 times (third most of any FBS QB)," Hale continued. "Last year at Oregon State, he had just nine first-down designed runs. Expect Florida State to use him far more like Oregon State did."

Uiagalelei is not only headed into this season with a wealth of experience, but he's going to have some elite weapons to work with. Norvell maximized the production of Travis, and he'll do the same with Uiagalelei heading into the season. Life will be easy for the Oregon State transfer as his high-level teammates will make for some eye-popping plays.

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