Dabo Swinney raves about DJ Uiagalelei's increased athleticism

Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is one of the most improved players in the entire country. After he and the Tiger offense struggled last fall, the unit as a whole, and he especially, have made a complete turnaround. Clemson is top-20 in scoring, undefeated through this point in the season — where they had three losses a year ago. Plus, the highlight of their season came at Wake Forest, where DJU led a 51-45 overtime victory.

So the offense is humming this season and Uiagalelei is playing far better than he did a year ago. Dabo Swinney credits part of that improvement to his QB’s use of his athleticism this season. He’s not just a passer and has proved through half a season that he can make plays with his legs when the offense needs him to. Which Sweeney says was a goal of Uiagalelei’s this offseason.

“I definitely think that’s a part of it. Just his want-to. He really wants to be better. You know, looking back last year, there was a lot of opportunities where he didn’t run it or when he did run it, he just he felt like he wasn’t as good as he needed to be. He also was hurt a lot of last year with a big old knee brace on. But that was one of the things he really committed to and that’s why he lost 30 pounds and just kind of changed his body.”

Swinney also added that the added scrambling ability has been a huge addition to the Tigers on offense.

“And, you know, not just running the football, but just being more athletic and mobile in the pocket. Being able to escape and extend plays. And you’ve seen that this year. Some of our biggest plays have come off of scrambles. We’ve had some huge scrambles and that’s football. I mean, that happens at every level in football if you got a quarterback who can move around.

“You don’t have to be DeShaun Watson, you don’t have to be Trevor [Lawrence] and have like wheels like that. You just got to be athletic. I mean [Uiagalelei’s] not some burner. But this guy is so athletic. He’s so athletic in the pocket and he has such a feel and he can extend plays. It’s just hard to cover guys a long time. And then he’s accurate. He can make all the throws. So I think that was something that he really wanted to add to his game this year. And he’s just much more confident.”

Having a confident and capable athlete under center in DJ Uiagalelei makes a world of difference for the Clemson offense, according to Dabo Swinney.