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College football rankings: Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler and the top 20 quarterbacks of 2021

By Cody Williams

Dec 27, 2019; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell (7) runs during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2019; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell (7) runs during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Josh Morgan-USA TODAY Sports /

5. D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson

Had COVID-19 not had such a dramatic effect on the 2020 season, there’s a very good chance that D.J. Uiagalelei would be right next to Bryce Young in these preseason quarterback rankings. Because without the virus, Trevor Lawrence likely wouldn’t have missed two games that allowed the then-true freshman to take the starting job for a brief moment and showcase what he’s capable of.

In his two games as the Tigers starter, Uiagalelei completed 69.4 percent of his throws for781 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Pair that with mop-up duty and some spot work and the big-bodied passer totaled 914 yards, five touchdowns and no picks while also running it in four times deep in the red zone.

For such a young player to come in and have that type of success against Notre Dame and Boston College speaks to the immense talent that Uiagalelei possesses. He has a massive arm and, though he’s not the athlete that his predecessor was, his 250-pound frame does make him a different type of rushing threat as he’s able to go through defenders and get yardage.

We still only have an extremely small sample size for Uiagalelei as a starting quarterback in college but his athletic profile and what we saw combined with the talent around him at Clemson would lead anyone to believe he’s about to put on a show in 2021.