Oregon quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has never played baseball in college, but that didn’t stop the Los Angeles Dodgers from taking a flyer on him in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB draft on Tuesday.
The former Clemson quarterback was a star athlete in high school but chose to focus exclusively on football with the Tigers. This decision made his selection by the Dodgers surprising when his name appeared on the tracking drafts as the 610th pick because it seemed unlikely that he would choose baseball over football.
Uiagalelei transferred after the 2022 season to Oregon State after spending three seasons at Clemson. He announced he was transferring from Clemson at the conclusion of the regular season after Kady Klopnik took over and excelled during the Tigers’ victory in the ACC Championship. Less than three weeks after entering the transfer gate, Uiagalelei committed to Oregon State.
Uiagalelei became known as a freshman when he had to start two games in place of Trevor Lawrence when Lawrence was sidelined with COVID-19 in 2020. Uiagalelei’s second start came against Notre Dame and he threw for 439 yards and two TDs in the 47-40 overtime loss at South Bend.
That game was the high point of Uiagalelei’s career at Clemson. He struggled in 2021 and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine). His stats improved in 2022, but Klopnik proved he was the quarterback of the future for the Tigers late in the season.
Before arriving at Clemson, Uiagalelei was one of the most highly regarded football recruits in the country. He said he wanted to play soccer and baseball with the Tigers but wasn’t sure how to balance both sports. Tell Athletic in April that the Dodgers had approached him about picking baseball again, but he wasn’t interested.
Uiagalelei is the presumed favorite starting quarterback for Oregon State in 2023 and it’s inconceivable that he would choose to play baseball before playing at least one season of college football with the Beavers. But if he chooses to play baseball in the near future, he will need to sign a contract with the Dodgers this summer for the team to retain his rights.
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