Ideal Scenario for Clemson Quarterback Room

It’s all about the quarterback. It’s the most important position on the field and Clemson find itself facing a possible quarterback controversy coming out of spring practice.

Will the veteran, DJ Uiagalelei, come back from a less than mediocre sophomore season and lead the Tigers back to the playoff or will true freshman, Cade Klubnik, take over the throne sooner rather than later.

Football is a team sport and one player does not normally make or break a team. That being said, again, one of the more crucial positions on a team is the quarterback. So, whether Uiagalelei ends up being the starter by seasons end or Klubnik takes over, could have a huge impact on how the season fairs for this team.

Fans have not been used to enduring bad quarterback play until last season. When Deshaun Watson came in as a freshman after Cole Stoudt struggled, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney did not hesitate to replace him.

Then when Kelly Bryant struggled during Trevor Lawrence’s freshman campaign, again, he did not hesitate to make a change. Both quarterbacks would eventually lead the Tigers to national titles.

After the Tigers’ spring game, some felt that Klubnik played better, while others thought Uiagalelei showed some signs of improvement. One thing that stuck out was the difference in their experience, but neither had what anyone would consider the perfect outing.

At this point, the perfect scenario for Clemson’s 2022 season would be for Uiagalelei to come in and play like many expected him to heading into his sophomore campaign. We have seen his is capable. Just look at the two starts in 2022 during his freshman season.

This would benefit Klubnik greatly. Not only does it allow him to work on making the adjustment from high school to college without the pressure of having to come in and help carry a team before he might be ready, it also gives him a year to develop more physically.

That, in no way, means that Klubnik couldn’t come in and do the job. Which is one thing that makes the coming season so much different than last. There is another legitimate option on the bench and if Uiagalelei comes out and begins this season the way he did the last, the coaching staff just might have a difficult decision to make.