In round 20 of the 2023 MLB draft, the Dodgers took a gamble on a standout college football player. Los Angeles selected Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, and the team listed him as a two-way player.
Uiagalelei was the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the class of 2020 when he committed to the Clemson Tigers. He was also a strong baseball prospect and considered playing baseball in college, before making the decision to focus all of his efforts on football at Clemson.
Uiagalelei has not played competitive baseball since attending St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California.
In 2021, after star quarterback Trevor Lawrence left Clemson for the NFL, drafted No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Uiagalelei took the reins as the Tigers’ starting signal caller. In two seasons as Clemson’s primary quarterback, Uiagalelei played in 26 games and totaled 4,767 passing yards, 31 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions.
However, Uiagalelei lost the starting role late last season to Cade Klubnik and entered the transfer portal after the season. He subsequently committed to the Oregon State Beavers for the upcoming season.
Although athletes are not allowed to play college baseball if they sign with an MLB team, they can play another sport. Russell Wilson is one notable example of a college quarterback who also played minor league baseball. So Uiagalelei will once again face the decision of whether to compete in two sports or center his focus to just one.
Uiagalelei enters the 2023 college football season with two years of remaining eligibility.
