While Jordan Travis' career at Florida State ended with a gruesome leg injury, he's not leaving the Seminoles without reinforcements at the position in 2024.
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On Monday, former Clemson Tigers and now Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei committed to the program and it appears a conversation with Travis was a deciding factor.
While Uiagalelei said he's a fan of head coach Mike Norvell and the scheme FSU runs, he said Travis played a massive role.
"He told me that Coach Norvell and [quarterbacks coach Tony] Tokarz are great coaches and coach you hard and will develop you," Uiagalelei said in a phone interview Monday with ESPN. "He also said that outside football, they really cared about him as a person."
In the conversation, Travis told Uiagalelei about a three-game losing streak in the ACC in 2022. He told Uiagalelei how the coaches reacted, saying, "They asked, 'How are you doing as a person?' They said, 'I'm here for you, not just as a coach, but also as a friend.' That's something that I value and had at Oregon State with Coach [Jonathan] Smith and Coach [Brian] Lindgren. ... Obviously they are about the right stuff."
Uiagalelei also told ESPN that FSU was the goal after visiting there two weeks ago.
"That's where I wanted to go the whole time," Uiagalelei said. "I didn't talk to many other programs. For the most part, I was locked in at Florida State. I appreciated them throughout the whole process. I wanted to be a Seminole. I wanted to be part of the program. I'm just blessed that Coach Norvell wanted to take me. I can't wait to get there and get to work."
Cam Ward appeared to be an option, but he's headed to the NFL.
In his career, Uiagalelei is 30-10 with 8,319 passing yards and 57 touchdowns. He played at Oregon State last season but was with fellow ACC squad Clemson for the three seasons prior. He thinks he'll be able to show off his ability more so at FSU.
"Florida State's offense plays to my strengths," Uiagalelei said. "They push the ball down the field. They're going to take deep shots. They have playmakers all around there. Coach Norvell does an unbelievable job scheming for opponents. He's a guy that's a smart football mind."
Uiagalelei hasn't quite lived up to his billing from the class of 2020, but he's looking forward to making the most out of what is likely his final college football season.
"I've developed a lot as a person and a player. For me, I felt grateful for every opportunity God has given me and blessed me with. There's so many blessings, so many great people and players. So many great lessons that football has taught me."
Florida State got trounced in the Orange Bowl, losing 63-3. Now, they look ahead to 2024.
