The gold chains DJ Uiagalelei wears around his neck and the elastics around his wrist refer to Clemson’s rookie quarterback.
The number five pendant hanging from his chest refers to his nickname, Big Five, which dates back to the shirt number he wears in honor of his favorite developing player: USC Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.
The T is for Tausha, her mom. Uiagalelei says he looks more like his reserved mother than his turbulent father, David.
The diamond-set cross is part of its deep Christian faith. The rubber bracelets given to him by his young cousin are engraved with Bible verses.
The message on one of these bracelets is clairvoyant, given last week’s occasions: “This is Jeremiah 33:3,” he says. “He said, ‘Call me and I will answer you and show you wonderful and hard things. ‘”
Trevor Lawrence left via COVID-19, Uiagalelei called via Clemson sooner than anyone would have expected. Last week when he entered the school, he showed that he is capable of looking wonderful and difficult things on a soccer field.
The next control for Uiiagalelei is positioned on one of the biggest stages of school football and brighcheck’s spotlight.
World No. 1 Clemson (7-0) will face No. four Notre Dame (6-0) on Saturday night in South Bend, Indiana, in a game with an ACC name and playoff implications. Lawrence is expected to be with the team, yet he’s already been out of the game.
Uiagalelei insists he may not be surprised at the moment and after seeing him bring the Tigers back from an 18-point deficit against Boston College, it’s hard not to.
“He texted me on Saturday morning and asked me if I had slept well. “Tausha Uiagalelei told AP. Tausha said he turned on the DJ, who said “of course. “
“He says, “Never ask me if I’m nervous. You don’t have to ask me that. “If you stay wondering, I wonder if I deserve to be nervous,” said Tausha, who traveled on vacation to Notre Dame with DJ’s younger brother, Matthew, this weekend.
Just two seasons ago, Notre Dame retired from school football playoffs through clemson and Lawrence freshman.
Now, another Clemson freshman quarterback is blocking Fighting Irish’s first victory over an opponent in the top five in 17 years. Like Lawrence, he’s not a new student.
“These young men see a lot now and are well prepared. DJ will be well prepared for a series of things we’ll show you,” irish coach Brian Kelly said. “The most important thing is to make sure you’re not comfortable there. “
Uiagalelei had to be informed to be comfortable as a care center from an early age. Growing up in Inland Empire, Southern California, his length and athletic prowess made him recognizable on the net before he reached college.
Tausha Uiagalelei remembers shopping groceries with DJ when she was in fourth grade and noticing more young boys whispering “It’s DJ, it’s DJ. ” She started talking to DJ about how to handle attention and humbly settle for that.
“That’s what God imposed on you, ” he told DJ. You’re an herbal leader. “
Uiagalelei played at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, one of the best productive school football systems in the country. When scholarship donations began to arrive, he wasn’t on Clemson’s radar, but the Rising Tigers were on his. good luck with field marshals Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson in an attack similar to the one he ran in Bosco with offensive coordinator Chad Johnson, now head coach at Mission Viejo.
Uiagalelei got in touch with Clemson’s coaches and eventually they toured the country to check it out. They liked what they saw.
When Uiagalelei traveled east to make a stopover in Alabama, Georgia and Clemson, he felt an exclusive connection to Dabo Swinney’s program culture.
Tausha said DJ said, “God is there, Mom. Christ is here. I can’t even. It’s another one of anything else. “
Lawrence, the quarterback in school football, is also in Clemson did not deter DJ Uiagalelei.
“I’m not looking for who the beginner quarterback is or whatever the intensity chart is,” Uiagalelei said.
Clemson’s teammates say Uiagalelei’s balance is as dazzling as the hard arm and 6-foot-four-inch, 250-pound athletics.
“It’s crazy to see someone come in, be here alone since January and come in and take the lead in a game like Saturday, when our season is essentially at stake,” main catcher Cornell Powell said. “He never flined. He never moved. He’s in a position for now.
STATEMENT GAME?
After three direct double-digit winning seasons, the Irish tend to downplay the concept of signing victories. But Notre-Dame’s good fortune has a roof. The Irish oppose the five most sensible warplanes under Kelly 0-5 and are on an 11-game streak lost to those groups dating back to the 2003 season.
Is clemson a referendum on the state of the program?
“We have a 29-3 record in our last 32 games,” Kelly said. “We’ve won 22 consecutive games at home. We’ve won 12 in a row. I don’t know. It’s up to you. “
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo on https://twitter. com/ralphDrussoAP and pay attention to https://westwoodonepodcasts. com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/
___
More advanced school football: https://apnews. com/Collegefootball and https://twitter. com/AP_Top25