Florida State head coach Mike Norvell was candid about his decision to bench quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, whose rough start this season has raised concerns. Before even playing in the U.S., the Seminoles were already struggling, and since returning from Ireland, things haven’t improved.
Uiagalelei’s difficulties culminated in a poor performance on Saturday, where he threw three interceptions in a 42-16 loss to SMU, which was making its ACC debut. He was eventually replaced by sophomore Brock Glenn.
Norvell, however, clarified that the decision to bench Uiagalelei wasn’t solely due to his performance. “DJ, on the last hit, hurt his hand. His hand got hit as he was throwing,” Norvell said, per On3.com’s Grant Grubbs. “But in reality, I was planning to make a change to give Brock a chance.”
While Norvell seemed to deflect some of the blame away from Uiagalelei, he stopped short of confirming that DJ would remain the starting quarterback. “When you’ve struggled offensively like we have for the first five weeks, no one is doing their job well. We need to figure out the best approach moving forward. The quarterback needs to play at a high level, make plays, and energize the offense,” Norvell stated.
With five games under their belt, the Florida State coaching staff may have seen enough to decide if Uiagalelei is the right fit. After showing promise but not excelling in previous seasons at Clemson and Oregon State, Uiagalelei is once again battling issues with accuracy and ball security—key factors for a team with championship hopes.
