Contrary to popular opinion, Mike Norvell needs to start DJU against Clemson

Yes, Florida State is terrible. Yes, a big part of that is the Seminoles' issue at quarterback. Yes, that quarterback has been DJ Uiagalelei for almost the entirety of the season. However, Mike Norvell's decision to bench DJU against SMU doesn't need to continue against the Clemson Tigers.

Not only is head coach Dabo Swinney the guy who initially recruited Uiagalelei to the Power 5 level, but Clemson is the team where DJU first played. While Uiagalelei didn't immediately become a starter for the Tigers, it's where he earned his stripes before transferring to Oregon State and then FSU.

Uiagalelei has only gone downhill since his first three seasons of college football, all spent at Clemson, but his performances have been truly horrendous for the Seminoles this season.

Yet, FSU head coach Mike Norvell still needs to put DJU in as the starting quarterback against the Tigers in Week 6.

Clemson is going to have one of the best, if not the best, defensive units that the Seminoles will face this season and the inexperienced freshman quarterback Brock Glenn simply isn't ready to play against that kind of pressure.

Even against the Mustangs in Week 5, when DJU was benched and Glenn stepped into the game, the freshman completed 0-of-4 pass attempts and didn't even try to run the ball.

Also read: Top 3 things Mike Norvell must do to salvage the 2024 season

While Uiagalelei has been sub-optimal this season, his experience against big-time opponents is what the Seminoles need in their starting quarterback against Clemson. DJU has played in 52 college football games while Glenn's appearance against SMU was just the sixth of his career.

Glenn has completed an abysmal 10 pass attempts throughout his time with the Seminoles while trying to connect with receivers 29 times – that's less than a 34.5 percent completion rate.

Meanwhile, DJU has nearly 800 career completions, 9,384 passing yards, and 61 touchdowns through the air. Yes, this has been Uiagalelei's worst season of his career but if Norvell decides to start Glenn against Clemson, the Seminoles are in for an even worse nightmare.

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