For someone as well-traveled as DJ Uiagalelei, this will be his first time outside the country.
Uiagalelei will make his debut with his third college on Saturday when No. 10 Florida State plays Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
“I finally get to use my passport,” Uiagalelei, the former Clemson and Oregon State starting quarterback, joked.
The Seminoles and Yellow Jackets — teams about a four-hour drive apart — flew nearly 4,000 miles to start the college football season overseas. ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be there for its first international broadcast, and all attention will be on Uiagalelei and Georgia Tech’s standout Haynes King.
The dual-threat quarterbacks are seen as among the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference for 2024.
Uiagalelei will try to fill the shoes of Jordan Travis, a four-year starter and the 2023 ACC Player of the Year. Uiagalelei brings a lot of experience to his new team, including 8,319 passing yards and 57 touchdowns, as well as 1,132 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns.
“He’s played a lot of football games,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “He’s seen it all. He’s been through highs. He’s been through lows. I could not be any more pleased with what I’ve seen since he got here in January, even just his growth.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence. I’m excited to go see him play like he’s prepared. If he does that, I think he could have a very special season.”
The Yellow Jackets have similar expectations for King, who transferred from Texas A&M and had 3,729 yards of total offense and 37 touchdowns in his first season under coach Brent Key at Tech.
King led the conference with 27 passing touchdowns — as well as 16 interceptions. If he can reduce his turnovers, the Yellow Jackets might achieve more than just a bowl game. Tech ranked third in the league in total offense in 2023, and Key has made changes to his defensive staff to build a more balanced team.
