Has Clemson found their very own version of Tua?

What Tua did for Alabama Football was nothing short of remarkable, but can it be repeated by Alabama's biggest rival; the Clemson Tigers?

D.J .Uiagalelei almost committed to the University of Alabama after coach Saban won him over in his first recruitment visit ever.

But, Dabo Sweeney got the last visit and was able to convince the hefty righty to commit to Clemson.

When star QB Trevor Lawrence went down with COVID-19, all the pressure was put on the true freshman.

Uiagalelei stepped up when his team needed him the most, and rallied the Tigers to an impressive 34-28  comeback win over Boston College, throwing for over 300 yards with two TD's through the air and one on the ground.

Before he takes on the No. 4 ranked Notre Dame "Fighting Irish" this weekend, and Tua gets his second start against the Arizona Cardinals, comparing and contrasting the Samoan slingers presents interesting comparisons.

Recruitment

D.J. Uiagalelei: The top pro style QB in the 2021 class according to 24/7Sports Composite. With an overall rating of 0.9949 and five- stars.

Tua Tagovailoa: The top dual- threat QB in the 2017 class according to 24/7 Sports composite. With an overall rating of 0.9843 and five- stars.

Highschool Stats

D.J. Uiagalelei: 10,496 yards, 127 TD’s for St. John Bosco High school in Bellflower, California.

Tua Tagovailoa: 5,515 yards,  57 TD’s for St. Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Size

D.J. Uiagalelei: 6’5, 250 lbs.

Tua Tagovailoa: 6’0, 215 lbs.

Pronunciation of last name

D.J. “oo-ee-AHN-guh-luh-lay.”

Tua “TUNG-o-vai-LOA."

Family life

Dave Uiagalelei: According to a NY Post article, D.J.’s father Dave has been a bodyguard for many different high profile celebrities. He’s a mountain of a man and is not shy about giving high praise for his son. Full of life and with a big smile on his face, Dave enjoyed the spotlight very much in last week's game against Boston College.

In an interview with Tigernet, D.J. let out some honest truth about his father.

“Sometimes, he can be over the top, “He likes the media. He likes the spotlight. I’m more like my mom. I like to be low key.” , said Uiagalelei

Galu Tagovailoa: Galu has a very different personality and has a reputation for showing his son tough love.

Tua said in an ESPN College GameDay segment, that his dad did whatever it took to make sure he was handling himself like a man on and off the field.

“If I don’t perform well, perform the way I’m supposed to, I’m gonna get it after,” Tua said, “Just know the belt was involved and other things were involved, as well.” “I was tough. He can go 15-for-15 with four touchdowns, but when he throws a pick, it’s the worst game,” Galu said with a smile. “It’s the worst game.”

Although both QB’s are very different play-style wise, they both share quite a few similarities.