Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will reportedly be sidelined for a “few weeks” due to a broken finger on his right hand. This injury occurred during a challenging 42-16 defeat against SMU, as confirmed by ESPN.
The Seminoles, currently with a record of 1-4, are set to face No. 15 Clemson (3-1) this Saturday, which adds an intriguing layer to the matchup given that Clemson is Uiagalelei’s former team.
On Monday, FSU head coach Mike Norvell indicated that the coaching staff would evaluate Uiagalelei throughout the week to determine the next steps for his recovery.
The injury took place in the fourth quarter after Uiagalelei threw his third interception, which resulted in a pick-six. Following his departure, redshirt freshman Brock Glenn took over but struggled, finishing 0-for-4 in passing attempts.
“Overall operation of what [Glenn] was asked to do, it was good,” Norvell remarked, highlighting the challenges faced in the game.
Uiagalelei’s journey began at Clemson, where he played from 2020 to 2022. After transferring to Oregon State in 2023, he joined Florida State for his senior season, hoping to make a significant impact.
Florida State, which narrowly missed the College Football Playoff last season, entered this year with high expectations for an ACC title run. However, the team has faced setbacks, losing their first three games against Georgia Tech, Boston College, and Memphis before securing a narrow 14-9 victory over Cal in Week 4.
This season, Uiagalelei has struggled with turnovers, throwing six interceptions—almost matching the seven he had last year at Oregon State—while managing only four touchdown passes. Yet, Norvell emphasized that the team’s struggles are not solely on the quarterback.
“DJ did make a lot of good throws throughout the course of the game. Some good decisions, he made some poor decisions and a couple of bad throws,” Norvell stated. “But you’ve got to help the quarterback position, and I don’t think we’ve done a good job of that consistently.”
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With Uiagalelei’s absence, Brock Glenn is anticipated to take the starting role for the first time since stepping in for Jordan Travis last season. Glenn previously started in both the ACC Championship Game and the Orange Bowl after Travis sustained a leg injury. In those appearances, Glenn completed only 36.2% of his passes, totaling 194 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
