DJ Uiagalelei, high school's No. 1 quarterback, chooses Clemson

By Zack Poff May 5, 2019, 12:12pm

St. John Bosco's 5-star gunslinger picks National Champions over Oregon.

In the end, it was a tough decision for the No. 1-rated quarterback, but DJ Uiagalelei of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) decided Clemson was a better fit than Oregon.

"It was the faith part that sold DJ," said David Uiagalelei (DJ's father) on choosing the defending national champions.

Video: DJ Uiagalelei 2018 highlights
Highlights of the top rated quarterback from the Class of 2020.

DJ Uiagalelei tweeted out his decision to head to Clemson just after noon on Sunday.

The Tigers jumped back into the No. 1 spot for the Class of 2020. Uiagalelei joins an already loaded class that features 5-stars Bryan Bresee, Demarkcus Bowman and Fred Davis II. Clemson now has seven players rated in the Top 100 already committed. Uiagalelei, Bresee, Bowman, Davis, RJ Mickens, Demonte Capehart, and Tre Williams all are rated in the Top 60. 

Another big factor in Uiagalelei's decision was Clemson's strong class of offensive lineman. The Tigers already have five 4-stars committed for 2020, including Mitchell Mayes, Paul Tchio, Bryn Tucker, Walker Parks and John Williams.

High school's top-rated quarterback had a monster junior campaign for the Braves. He was an easy first team All-American selection after throwing for nearly 3,500 yards and 48 touchdowns while leading the Braves to a 13-1 record and a spot at No. 3 in our final Top 25 rankings. He was also named the California Gatorade Football Player of the Year and was also a finalist for the national award.



Expect another big season for Uiagalelei as a senior. With the talent Bosco has returning, the Braves will be in contention to start the 2019 season at No. 1 and on the short list of teams who can contend for a national title.

Uiagalelei keeps the strong trend of quarterbacks going to Clemson. 

Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence each led Dabo Sweeny's team to a national title — and there is a good chance Uiagalelei does the same.
Graphic by Ryan Escobar