Save the date for D.J. Uiagalelei’s announcement ceremony where he’ll choose between playing for Oregon or Clemson.
And then there were two. The nation’s top quarterback recruit, D.J. Uigalelei, is set to decide where he’ll play his college football.
The 6-4, 240-pound quarterback for St. Jon Bosco in Bellflower, Calif. will announce his college during a ceremony on Sunday, May 5. He will choose between the reigning national champion Clemson Tigers and the Oregon Ducks.
Uigalalei attended the spring games for both programs and is days away from making fans of one of those two programs awfully happy and the other wish they had him.
My mind is made up and the date is set, I am now ready to Commit. . .😤#SCODUCKS🦆#ALLIN🐅#SACDAWGS@DustinLaemmlen pic.twitter.com/KKB378NigE
— DJ Uiagalelei (@DJUiagalelei) May 2, 2019
Clemson is the prohibitive favorite for Uigalaleli. Dabo Swinney’s program landed the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, earlier this month. That commitment gave Clemson the nation’s No. 1 overall class.
The commitment from Uigalalei could go a long way toward giving Clemson their best recruiting class in program history.
Clemson landed the No. 1 quarterback two years ago when they got Trevor Lawrence from Cartersville, GA. Lawrence led Clemson to the National Championship as a freshman, throwing a record 30 touchdowns as a freshman.
But Oregon can’t be outright dismissed as a possibility. They did make his final two after all.
Uigalalei has previously spoken about his fondness for former Oregon quarterbacks, Marcus Mariota and Jeremiah Masoli. Oregon landed the No. 2 recruit in the 247Sports Composite Rankings last winter, signing defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. Could Mario Cristobal land another big fish on Sunday?
Wherever Uigalalei lands, he will have expectations as big as his frame. The big-armed signal-caller has elite arm strength not seen in years. If he goes to Clemson, he’ll sit for a season behind Lawrence before he leaves for the NFL in 2021 before competing for the starting job, which could be a mere formality.
At Oregon, he could have an easier time starting as a true freshman with Justin Herbert leaving for the NFL after the 2019 season.
Nevertheless, Clemson is the prediction for Uigalalei.