CLEMSON -- The quote from Tony Elliott is almost startling when you look back at it:

"Like Watson with that quiet confidence. Never rattled, ice water in his veins. A little Mahomes in him because he can make throws off his back foot, off-balance, can change arm angles. Rifle arm like Trevor. The more we put on his plate, he's never been overwhelmed."

This came after DJ Uiagalelei's first start, in an emergency situation, against Boston College in 2020.

The idea here is not to dredge up the past, with which most of you are already well acquainted.

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The point here on March 6, 2023, the first day of Clemson's spring practice, is to re-emphasize a point that will remain essential moving forward: