D.J. Uiagalalei joins Spencer Rattler as cautionary tales of preseason Heisman lore

D.J. Uiagalelei was heralded as a Heisman favorite. Now that he’s been benched, he joins Spencer Rattler as proof that preseason hype doesn’t matter.

College football fans might be used to the Heisman favorite looking all too human during the season but how often have multiple preseason candidates ended up benched?

The 2021 season has wreaked havoc on all the expectations experts and fans had for the best players in the country.

First, Spencer Rattler was benched by Oklahoma. Now D.J. Uiagalelei has joined him as a former Heisman candidate who ended up being benched. He was pulled as he threw two interceptions and the Tigers fell behind to Pitt.

D.J. Uiagalelei went from Heisman hopeful to being benched

While the Tigers eventually put Uiagalelei back in, it’s been clear for a while he’s not the quarterback everyone thought he was.

In that sense, the preseason Heisman odds look pretty comical in hindsight.

With the exception of Bryce Young, none of those players are even close to the Heisman discussion. At least CJ Stroud is a relatively successful starter. The rest are out of it for a variety of reasons.

It’s impossible to predict exactly what will happen in a football season. It’s usually a lot easier to have a general sense of which players are really good. This year has been totally unpredictable on that front.

Let’s be fair to Uiagalelei and Rattler. Their struggles are as much a reflection of larger team problems as their own individual shortcomings.

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