FSU’s Norvell ‘Pleased’ with DJ Uiagalelei: ‘He’s Giving Us a Chance’ Amid 0-3 Start

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVSeptember 16, 2024

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Florida State head coach Mike Norvell maintained a positive tone when talking about starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei amid the team’s 0-3 start to the 2024 season.

“I am pleased with the way that he’s preparing. I am pleased with the things that he’s doing,” he told reporters Monday. “You see the moments where he’s giving us a chance. He’s giving us an opportunity to have big plays. I thought there were a lot of the reads and things that he needed to do and the position where he needed to put the ball that was positive.”

Norvell also conceded that it has “been a challenging start for everybody” and that “we all have a responsibility.”

Some regression was expected from FSU after it lost so many key players from the team that went 13-0 during the 2023 regular season. The shellacking it suffered at the hands of Georgia in the Orange Bowl pointed to the work Norvell and his staff needed to do in the transfer portal.

Uiagalalei, who came in from Oregon State, encapsulates how badly the Seminoles misfired in terms of recruitment.

The fifth-year senior has thrown for 666 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while completing 56.6 percent of his passes. By any objective metric, he has not performed well and FSU hasn’t even entered the toughest stretch of its ACC schedule yet.

Benjamin Allbright @AllbrightNFLWhoever convinced Florida State that the transfer portal QB they needed was DJ Uiagalelei and not any number of significantly better options, should never work in football again.

Rather than helping him, Uiagalelei’s wealth of experience as a college starter is working to his detriment as well. The book is out on the 23-year-old and he has shown little reason to think he’ll evolve as a passer at this point.

Alex Kirshner @alex_kirshnerThere is “not respecting the opposing QB” and then there is Memphis zero-blitzing DJ Uiagalelei with FSU needing 60 yards for a touchdown in the last minute

Fans would probably like to see a change at quarterback, but there may not be a viable alternative.

Redshirt freshman Brock Glenn is the backup and he looked way out of his depth toward the end of last year after Jordan Travis’ injury. Behind him is true freshman Luke Kromenhoek, the No. 5 quarterback prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2024 recruiting class. Even if Norvell believes in Kromenhoek’s long-term potential, throwing a first-year starter out there when the team is a sinking ship can backfire.

For better or worse, Norvell pretty much hitched his wagons to Uiagalalei so he has to make the best of it.