In two starts while filling in for Trevor Lawrence as a true freshman in 2020, DJ Uiagalelei impressed during shining performances against Notre Dame and Boston College and had the look of a potential future first-round NFL Draft pick.

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite pan out for Uiagalelei at Clemson over the next two seasons, as he struggled in his first full season as the starting quarterback in 2021 before having an up-and-down 2022 campaign that ultimately saw him lose the starting job to Cade Klubnik in the ACC Championship Game.

But after transferring to Oregon State this offseason, could Uiagalelei still end up being a first-round pick in next year’s draft? One national outlet thinks so.

CBS Sports recently published an article on “seven college football QBs who could emerge as potential first-round draft picks” with standout seasons this year.

Among those mentioned on the list is Uiagalelei, who will get a clean slate this season in Corvallis after a bumpy career with the Tigers.

Here’s what CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno wrote about the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder entering his fourth collegiate season and why Salerno thinks the former five-star prospect could be poised for a breakout campaign:

Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State for a fresh start this offseason, and this will be the highest-rated quarterback Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith has worked with in his coaching career. Smith was the OC/QB coach at Washington from 2014-17 and worked with another former top QB, Jake Browning. During the 2016 season in which Washington reached the CFP, Browning had the best season of his college career under Smith’s watch and played like a Heisman Trophy candidate. Even though Oregon State won 10 games last season, QB play was one of its biggest weaknesses. He won’t be throwing to four- and five-star wide receivers like he did at Clemson, but he still has weapons such as RB Damien Martinez, WR Anthony Gould, WR Silas Bolden and transfer TE Jermaine Terry ll at his disposal. Oregon State will be the better fit for him because he won’t be under the microscope to succeed like he was at Clemson the moment he was handed the starting position. This is the year Uiagalelei turns it around and shows why he was a highly ranked prospect coming out of high school. If he can do that, Oregon State will compete for a Pac-12 title and his draft stock may skyrocket.

As a junior last season, Uiagalelei completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,521 yards and 22 touchdowns with seven interceptions while also rushing for 545 yards and seven more scores.

Uiagalelei went 22-6 as a starter at Clemson. Overall, in 36 games from 2020-22, he completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 5,681 yards and 36 touchdowns with 17 interceptions, to go with 275 career carries for 913 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store.  Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.

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