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

DJ Uiagalelei departed from the loss to SMU due to an apparent injury to his throwing hand.

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's 2024 season isn't going how anyone expected whether it be fans, national or local media, and even the team. It feels like everything is going wrong and there aren't many positives for the Seminoles to cling to after five games.

On Monday morning, head coach Mike Norvell revealed that redshirt senior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is dealing with an injury that FSU will evaluate throughout the upcoming week. Uiagalelei started in each of the team's first five games of the season but was sidelined late in the loss to SMU following a pick-six. At the time, the TV broadcast showed medical staff checking out Uiagalelei's throwing hand following a previous injury to a finger on his opposite hand.

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Norvell didn't go into detail surrounding Uiagalelei's injury but Florida State did make a public change to the depth chart as redshirt freshman Brock Glenn is now listed as the co-starter at quarterback alongside the veteran. Glenn did not complete any of his four passes against SMU but started for the Seminoles in the ACC Championship and Orange Bowl to conclude last year.

Uiagalelei has been rated as one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the P5. He's 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.

"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."

"I thought he did some good things, had a nice throw we didn't finish on. I thought he did miss one of the vertical shots that I thought was a touchdown play," Norvell continued. "Overall operation of what he was asked to do was good but it wasn't shocking to me. Brock and Luke both do a great job in how they prepare, they try to prepare as if they're going to play every play in the game. And if you do that, then when you get in the game it's going to translate a lot better for you. I thought he was ready for the moment and obviously those guys both have to go and prepare at an elite level this week and we'll see how things play out throughout the course of what this week holds."

During the course of the press conference, Norvell was asked if the change at quarterback was made strictly due to DJ's injury. He didn't provide much of a direct response.

"DJ didn't finish the game because one, he couldn't finish the game," Norvell said. "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 with status."

Glenn is in his second season with the program. He's completed 19/55 passes for 229 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Glenn has 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.

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