"Number 2 in the nation is ridiculous" - Fans flex C.J. Stroud's NFL glory while DJ Uiagalelei struggles against unranked Georgia Tech

DJ Uiagalelei’s career at Florida State hasn’t started as he would have anticipated. The quarterback led the Seminoles to a loss against Georgia Tech in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin Ireland, failing to impress a lot of fans with his debut for the program.

The outcome of the game made quite a lot of fans reflect on how the quarterback’s career has gone. DJ Uiagalelei was one of the top-rated prospects in the class of 2020 and was anticipated to have a brilliant college career at Clemson. However, things turned out differently for him.

A fan compared how his career has gone with that of Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Uiagalelei was the highest-rated pro-style quarterback in the class of 2020 and was followed by Stroud. While Stroud is in the NFL, Uiagalelei is hoping to end his college career on a high.

Here's a look at the reactions of fans to the comparison between both quarterbacks.

"Number 2 in the nation is ridiculous," one fan said of Stroud's ranking.

"Shows how how much rankings really mean," another fan opined.

Other reactions from fans:

"Can’t believe they had DJ over CJ," a fan wrote.

"DJ didn’t look comfortable for one second. Couldn’t do a thing against GT defense. Got bailed out multiple times by quick throws too his RBs," one fan said, critiquing Uiagalele's performance against GT.

Meanwhile, a couple of fans discussed the different development of quarterbacks.

"It’s crazy how things play out. Some guys peak early, others keep leveling up. CJ just hit different," a fan wrote.

"This shows colleges focus more on size than skill," another fan wrote.

Mike Norvell commends DJ Uiagalelei's performance against Georgia Tech

While DJ Uiagalelei failed to impress many with his performance against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, Florida State coach Mike Norvell saw quite a lot of positives. The coach has some good words on the quarterback’s performance in the Week 0 game.

"I thought DJ did some good things. I thought it was really a great job there on that fourth-quarter drive,” Norvell said after the loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin, per FSU Seminoles on SI.

“Had some fourth-down calls, had some tougher situations, and I thought he delivered in that moment. A couple drives in the third quarter there were some opportunities that we're going to be able to grow from."

Uiagalelei has the huge responsibility of replacing Jordan Travis in the Florida State offense. Travis played an important role on the Seminoles’ route to the ACC championship last season.

Why DJ Uiagalelei picked Florida State

It looked like DJ Uiagalelei had found his footing in college football with his performance for Oregon State in 2023. However, with Jonathan Smith's exit, he had to move somewhere else. He explained his decision to transfer to Florida State despite other offers.

"Florida State's offense plays to my strengths. They push the ball down the field,” Uiagalelei told ESPN shortly after his commitment to the Seminoles via the portal.

"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 plays his final season of eligibility in 2024 and his performance for Florida State will have a lot to say about his draft stock. It's up to him to get things together as the season progresses.