DJ Uiagalelei transfer portal rumors: 5 best destinations for Oregon State QB

For the second time in as many years, DJ Uiagalelei has entered the transfer portal. The former five-star quarterback out of St. John Bosco in Southern California initially committed to play for Dabo Swinney at Clemson. After a few years at Clemson, he opted to transfer to Oregon State to play for Jonathan Smith after losing the starting job to a once-promising five-star freshman in Cade Klubnik.

Uiagalelei will have one more year of eligibility. While he could conceivably turn pro and enter the 2024 NFL Draft, this is a loaded quarterback draft, and there is next to no chance he would be anything close to a first-round pick. Therefore, it probably serves him to stick around the college game one more year to attempt to finally get the most out of his once-impressive five-star talent.

Unfortunately for Uiagalelei, there are several better transfer portal quarterback prospects over him including Riley Leonard (Duke), Will Howard (Kansas State), Dante Moore (UCLA) and Will Rogers (Mississippi State) to name a few. The good news for Uiagalelei is his ability to play well at times at strong Power Five programs should give him at least one more shot of playing for a Power Five team.

Without further ado, here are five potential transfer portal destinations for the Beavers quarterback.

5 transfer destinations for former five-star quarterback DJ Uiagalelei

5. Oregon Ducks already have DJ Uiagalelei's younger brother Matayo

This is a stretch, a pipe dream, if you will. Would Uiagalelei turn heel and play for the big brother rival in The Strife Aquatic? Well, the Oregon Ducks will no longer be conference rivals with the Oregon State Beavers, as Oregon is heading to the Big Ten next season alongside UCLA, USC and Washington. Oregon State and Washington State will be quasi-independent with a loose Mountain West affiliation.

There are three reasons why Uiagalelei could go from Corvallis to Eugene this offseason. One, this is where his younger brother Matayo Uiagalelei plays tight end at. Two, this is the last year of eligibility current Heisman Trophy frontrunner Bo Nix has at Oregon. And three, the Ducks are not going anywhere, as head coach Dan Lanning already has this thing humming in his second year at the helm.

Reuniting the Uiagalelei Brothers would feel so good, but this does feel like a pressure cooker situation for DJ U. He would be tasked with not only replacing an Oregon legend at quarterback in Nix, but will have to help the Ducks navigate treacherous waters in the Big Ten. His skillset may serve him in this Oregonian transition, but the Beavers' colors do not exactly run with those of the Ducks.

To me, this potential transfer destination has too many potential slip-ups for Uiagalelei to go there.