Dabo Swinney knew D.J. Uiagalelei was going to leave Clemson’s football program after this season. The only question was in what fashion?

“He really wanted to go pro and then really came to the conclusion he needs another year,” Clemson’s veteran coach said.

Uiagalelei is now in the transfer portal, a decision the Tigers’ former quarterback made official early last week. Swinney said Uiagalelei wanted to finish his final season as a Tiger by sticking around for the Orange Bowl matchup against Tennessee, but with just 45 days for players to enter the portal and decide on their next destination, time was of the essence.

“It’s a consequence of the rules the way they are,” Swinney said.

But Swinney said he’s not at all bitter about Uiagalelei’s split, adding he’s grateful for what Uiagalelei helped Clemson accomplish on the field and the leadership he displayed off it amid three tumultuous seasons in the Tigers’ program.

“Love him and appreciate him,” Swinney said. “He’s been one of the greatest kids to come through here and one of the most respected players and leaders.”

A former five-star recruit, Uiagalelei stepped in as Trevor Lawrence’s successor in 2021 after a couple of strong spot starts as a true freshman the year. There was helping lead a comeback against Boston College that season before Uiagalelei had his coming-out party in a stellar performance in a double-overtime loss at Notre Dame.

But Uiagalelei struggled to recapture that form. He completed just 55% of his passes with more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9) as a sophomore. And after a fast start this season, including a 371-yard, five-touchdown day passing in a win at Wake Forest in late September, Uiagalelei was benched three times over his final six games, the last being three series into Clemson’s win over North Carolina in the ACC championship game.

The Tigers are entering the Cade Klubnik era after the true freshman went 20 of 24 passing with two touchdowns and no turnovers in the title-clinching victory. But Swinney is convinced his team wouldn’t have gotten to that point without Uiagalelei, who will graduate from Clemson later this month.

“He’s a graduate of Clemson and a two-time ACC champion,” Swinney said. “Honestly we probably don’t win the division his freshman year without him. Stepping in for us against (Boston College). And we definitely don’t get to Charlotte this year without him.

“I’m thankful for him. He’s been a great ambassador for Clemson, and I know he’s going to do a lot of great things. He’s got a lot of great football in front of him.”

Dear Old Clemson is doing NIL the ‘Clemson way’, but we need your help to make sure we build a sustainable, repeatable model that will help keep Clemson competitive with the other top programs around the nation.

Dabo Swinney: “We need your assistance more than ever to provide meaningful NIL opportunities. Tiger Impact, Dear Old Clemson and other collectives allow student-athletes to utilize their voice and platform to maximize their NIL opportunities and strengthen their impact in the community.”

Graham Neff:
“Tiger Impact, Dear Old Clemson and other collectives need your support to help provide meaningful NIL opportunities for our student athletes. We are doing things the right way, the Clemson way with integrity as a non-negotiable and we fully support the mission of these groups.”

Join the Tiger Club or Lady Tiger Club to help these great student-athletes and help the Tigers compete at the highest level!