Corey Clark: Is DJ Uiagalelei ready to take that next step as Florida State’s quarterback?

We’re more than halfway through preseason practice. The Florida State football team just completed its second scrimmage, and the Georgia Tech opener, in Ireland, is less than two weeks away.

The season is almost here, folks! Can you believe it?

And I thought it was very telling how head coach Mike Norvell talked about his starting quarterback on Saturday. More to the point, how pivotal these next practices are as the Seminoles prepare for the 2024 season.

“I’m very excited about where he is,” Norvell said of DJ Uiagalelei. “You know, we’ve got two weeks until kickoff. It is a critical, critical two weeks in front of us.”

The fifth-year Florida State coach veered off into talking about the entire team when he made this comment, but I thought it was significant that it came right after talking about his QB.

Yes, these two weeks ARE extremely critical.

Heading into 2023, Norvell knew exactly what he had in the passing game.

He had one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He had a 6-foot-6 giant over on that side and a 6-foot-4 phenom on the other. Along with an NFL-caliber tight end.

I think it’s safe to say it’s not quite as obvious what he has in the passing game in 2024.

As an observer of most Florida State practices (the scrimmages are closed), I can tell you this: Malik Benson is going to play a lot. So is Ja’Khi Douglas. Kyle Morlock is going to be a weapon. And running backs Jaylin Lucas and Lawrance Toafili will be a part of the passing game, too. Big parts, perhaps.

But I legitimately have no idea how good the passing game will be overall.

And it starts with the quarterback.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea, I have not been disappointed with what I’ve seen from Uiagalelei at all. The arm is everything we knew it to be. He has taken care of the ball for the most part. And his legs will be a factor when the season begins.

But over these next two weeks … I would like to see a step. I’d like to see more completions strung together. I’d like to see more rhythm. Heck, I’d like to see more receivers making plays in general. I just want to see a bit more from the passing game.

Again, that’s not to imply that it’s been awful. And I’m not worried or concerned that this offense is going to be dismal or anything. It should be able to run the ball. And it does have an elite play-caller, in my opinion. And it has some real talent all over the field. You just want to see it all come together.

That, of course, starts with the veteran quarterback who is in his third offense in three years.

“He’s done a remarkable job,” Norvell said. “The investment in his study, the investment in the work and overall understanding. He’s a very smart quarterback. He sees the field well. He’s been able to do some of the things that we’ve adapted to him, and he’s adapted to what we do.

“And I think that’s what made him transition well. I like the speed of how he’s processing. I’m still trying to challenge him with some different looks, some different unexpected things just to see how he’s able to work himself through that. And he does a great job in his response to those situations.”

Norvell said Uiagalelei had a great start to the scrimmage on Saturday. He was really sharp.

And in the previous scrimmage, he was the quarterback who led a marathon 97-yard touchdown drive.

No, the practices aren’t just throw-and-catch exhibitions. Because, you know, in practice these receivers and quarterbacks are going up against a pretty darn good defensive backfield. It ain’t easy. It will get easier most likely when the season starts.

Theoretically, it should start getting easier every day. As the starting quarterback gets more and more comfortable.

No one expects this offense to be as pass-heavy as last year’s. Not only are Johnny and Keon and Jordan all gone, but because of some adjustments and additions to the offensive line, we all believe the running game will be much improved. Which always helps. And you already know Uiagalelei is a competent, solid, better-than-average college quarterback. He’s proven that the last two years. At two different schools.

So, if he just remains who he was in 2022 and 2023, this Florida State offense should be good enough to win plenty of games.

But what if he takes that next step to special?

We haven’t seen that yet. But what if we start to see it? What if we see it in Ireland? What if it all just starts to click? And what if these receivers start to truly shine?

Well, then the ceiling for this offense — and therefore the entire team — is truly unknown.

There’s work to be done. Uiagalelei isn’t there yet. This offense isn’t clicking consistently through the air.

But it just might be coming. That’s why these next two weeks are so critical.

We in the local media are so lucky to get to cover every single preseason practice and report on what we see. But one of the challenges of seeing the whole process unfold is not placing too much emphasis on mistakes made during practice — especially in the first week or two.

Not assuming that’s just who those players are. That they’re not going to get better. And learn.

The passing game wasn’t sensational on Aug. 4. Therefore it won’t look great 20 days later. Or two months later. That’s just not how sports works.

I saw that first-hand in August 2022. For much of that month, I was pretty certain the Florida State offense would look a whole lot like it did in 2021. Better. But not exponentially so.

Jordan Travis wasn’t exceptional that entire month. He didn’t fill me with great confidence that he was about to take this giant leap as a quarterback. Even though I was watching every practice.

Then there was a day in the middle of camp where he looked like Drew Brees. Everything just clicked. In a way we hadn’t ever seen before.

We wrote about it at the time. Many of you rolled your eyes, saying things like, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Well, you did eventually see it. And now you believe it!

There are still nearly two weeks left before the season begins. And maybe, just maybe, it’s all about to click for this quarterback and the passing game as well.

Florida State’s offensive coordinator certainly seems to think it might be coming.

“He’s not learning the Florida State offense,” Atkins said. “The offense is kind of changing into his offense, where, ‘OK, now I like doing this.’ You kind of put your personal stamp on it. So, I like that development because of what he’s comfortable with, how he’s now changing plays, changing cadences, understanding where to go to in relation with the receivers.

“It’s been fun to watch. Because it’s been just a steady climb of progression. … I’m excited to see as he continues to grow and kind of take the offense with two hands.”

Contact senior writer Corey Clark at corey@warchant.com.

Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei delivers a pass during preseason camp. (Gene Williams/Warchant)

Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.

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