Why DJ Uiagalelei is transferring to Florida State: Former Clemson, Oregon State QB picks FSU

DJ Uiagalelei was the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the nation for the Class of 2020, according to the 247Sports Composite. He was a five-star recruit and the No. 10 overall college football prospect in the nation.

Now, he's headed to his third destination after recently announcing he would play for Florida State next following his entrance into the transfer portal after a year at Oregon State.

Here's what to know about Uiagalelei's decision to transfer to FSU and how Jordan Travis factored into that.

Why DJ Uiagalelei transferred to FSU

Uiagalelei had several suitors in the transfer portal after he elected to leave Oregon State, where he reestablished himself after things didn't go quite as planned at Clemson. 

He ultimately chose Florida State, a program that went 13-0 but then lost 63-3 to Georgia in the Orange Bowl with a slimmed-down roster due to transfers, injuries and opt-outs.

One of the biggest issues there was that the team did not have starting quarterback Jordan Travis due to a season-ending injury. Travis played an integral role in the Seminoles' success and the fact they nearly made it into the College Football Playoff, and he also played a part in helping land the next quarterback who will take the reins for FSU.

Uiagalelei noted in an interview with ESPN that a conversation with Travis weighed heavily in his decision to commit.

"He told me that Coach Norvell and [quarterbacks coach Tony] Tokarz are great coaches and coach you hard and will develop you," Uiagalelei said. "He also said that outside football, they really cared about him as a person."

Uiagalelei said Travis also told him a story about how the FSU staff handled a three-game ACC losing streak in 2022..

Travis told Uiagalelei that "They asked, 'How are you doing as a person?' They said, 'I'm here for you, not just as a coach, but also as a friend.' That's something that I value and had at Oregon State with Coach [Jonathan] Smith and Coach [Brian] Lindgren. ... Obviously they are about the right stuff."

Uiagalelei visited FSU in the middle of December and apparently did not entertain many other schools in his transfer process.

"That's where I wanted to go the whole time," Uiagalelei said. "I didn't talk to many other programs. For the most part, I was locked in at Florida State. I appreciated them throughout the whole process. I wanted to be a Seminole. I wanted to be part of the program. I'm just blessed that Coach Norvell wanted to take me. I can't wait to get there and get to work."

Heading to the third school of his career, Uiagalelei feels the offense pairs well with what he brings to the table as a quarterback.

"Florida State's offense plays to my strengths," Uiagalelei said. "They push the ball down the field. They're going to take deep shots. They have playmakers all around there. Coach Norvell does an unbelievable job scheming for opponents. He's a guy that's a smart football mind."

MORE: Latest quarterback transfers for 2024 season

DJ Uiagalelei 2023 stats

After his time at Clemson, Uiagalelei needed to go somewhere where he could get himself into rhythm and fine-tune some parts of his game that needed to be fixed in order for him to take his performance to the next level.

In his one season at Oregon State, Uiagalelei showed notable improvement, completing 57.1% of his passes, averaging 8.4 yards per attempt, a new career high for him. Now, he'll look to put it all together with a team that has shown it can find a place in the big race with the right man taking the snaps.

DJ Uiagalelei career stats

Uiagalelei is headed into the fifth year of his college career as he prepares to take the field next for the Seminoles. Here's a look at how Uiagalelei has performed statistically up to this point.