Fault or Fluke: DJ Uiagalelei, Texas A&M, Penn State

In an exciting new feature on the site, I take a dive into whether a disappointment (player, coach, team, whatever) is FAULT or FLUKE You’ll figure it out.

DJ Uiagalelei’s failure at Clemson

FAULT

I gotta blame Clemson for this one, but I guess we will see. He had as much hype as Bryce Young, had more NFL upside with his size, and was terribly flat after a good start. He played in his head too much, they kept dumbing down the playbook out of fear, and he just regressed. I think this was a bad job developing him which is odd because of how well they did with others at Clemson.

Sep 24, 2022; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) passes the ball under pressure from Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive lineman Jasheen Davis (30) during the second half at Truist Field.

Texas A&M’s awful season.

FLUKE

I debated this one. I’m not a fan of Jimbo Fisher at all. But this team has talent, they showed out well in 2020 and 2021, and I think they get back to at least eight wins this season with that roster. If they don’t, I’ll gladly put FAULT here.

Nov 26, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher yells to the referees during the second half against the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field.

Penn State’s inability to beat Top 10 teams.

FAULT

Adversely, I really like James Franklin, and I still speak of the job he did at Vanderbilt as one of the best coaching jobs in the last 30 years. But Penn State is 2-15 against top-10 teams in his tenure in Happy Valley, and that’s not a fluke. It just can’t be. And it will take a heckuva run in the next many seasons to even put a dent in this.