In the era of player empowerment, NIL, and the transfer portal, the NCAA has made a shocking move by denying Maryland football quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa any remaining college eligibility. Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the NCAA denied Tagovailoa’s waiver for an additional year of eligibility.
Former Alabama football head coach Nick Saban also appealed on behalf of Tagovailoa. The legendary bench boss wrote a solid plea to the NCAA to support the signal-caller. The NCAA recently granted Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman another year of eligibility. Bowman started his college career in 2018, a year before Tagovailoa.
Maryland Football QB Taulia Tagovailoa: College Career Ends
Taulia Tagovailoa, the fourth-ranked pro-style quarterback in the class of 2019, started his career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. During his freshman season, he played behind his brother Tua Tagovailoa and fellow gunslinger Mac Jones, going 9-of-12 for 100 yards and a score. The younger Tagovailoa transferred to the Maryland football program the following season.
The Hawaii native started four games for the Terrapins during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, throwing for 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns against seven picks. He returned the following season, collecting a career-high 3,860 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. He earned MVP honors at the Pinstripe Bowl, where he went 20 of 24 for 265 yards and two touchdowns in a 54-10 win. It was Maryland’s first bowl victory in more than a decade.
Tagovailoa threw for 3,008 yards and 18 touchdowns against eight picks in one less game during the 2022 campaign. He returned for his senior season, passing for 3,377 yards and 25 touchdowns against 11 picks in 2023. Tagovailoa leaves the program as the Terrapins’ leader in passing yards and touchdowns for a career. He also owns the most passing yards in the history of the Big Ten.
Taulia Tagovailoa: NFL Profile
Per NFL Draft Buzz, Taulia Tagovailoa is currently projected as a fifth-round selection. His size and speed, like his brother, could become an issue. However, his passing and leadership qualities remain a strength. The site’s most significant concern with the five-foot-eleven signal-caller outside his height is arm strength. Tagovailoa will now prepare for life in the NFL with his waiver denied on Tuesday.
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