Former Alabama quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa will now have a chance to start this fall at Maryland since the NCAA approved his transfer waiver on Friday. This is big news for Tagovailoa and Maryland fans who were hoping to see Taulia in action this fall.
When Tagovailoa announced his decision to transfer from Alabama, many wondered why he chose Maryland and assumed Taulia Tagovailoa would transfer to a school in southern Florida such as FAU, FIU, and Miami to be closer to his older brother Tua, but he didn’t.
Tagovailoa instead transferred to Maryland, and his father, Galu Tagovailoa, shared with AL.com why.
“It’s really tough and it’s nothing against Alabama. But my boys are competitive, and Lia is such a competitive kid. And he wanted an opportunity to compete. He was told that he was going to come in and compete and he didn’t really get that opportunity, so he wanted to use the spring to do that. But with the COVID-19 thing going on, he didn’t really have the opportunity to compete. He’s a competitor. He likes to work. He likes to compete on the field. And just, going into the season this year, he just felt that he wasn’t given that opportunity and he wants to take it somewhere where they’re going to give him the opportunity to make the best of his skill set.”
And according to Galu, Maryland seemed to be the best fit for Tagovailoa:
“He’s a player. This kid likes to play. He wants a chance to get on the field. He knew that him getting on the field this past season was just to hand off the ball and they didn’t really showcase him and who he is. He doesn’t fear competition. He just wants an opportunity to go out there and play. And the best place right now for him is Maryland.”
Taulia Tagovailoa’s transfer waiver has been approved by the NCAA and the former Alabama QB is immediately eligible to play at Maryland, per source. Attorney John Long handled family’s case over last three months, and Maryland coach Mike Locksley was notified of the news today.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 7, 2020
Taulia was rated as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the 2019 class by 247Sports and PrepStar.
Taulia Tagovailoa also became the only quarterback in Alabama state history to have at least four 400-yard passing performances in his career, throwing for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior at Thompson High School. Tagovailoa led Thompson to the 2018 Class 7A state championship and was selected to the Class 7A All-State first team in 2017.
Taulia Tagovailoa saw limited action in Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Tide, considering he was a backup behind his older brother Tua. He recorded 9 passes for 100 yards and 1 TD. He played in three games in 2019: against Western Carolina, Arkansas, and Southern Mississippi.
But Taulia Tagovailoa is extremely talented and has so much potential, and Locksley can help him. Considering he’s coached Tua Tagovailoa, Locksley has an edge that every other coach in the country doesn’t.
It will be exciting to see what Taulia can do this fall!
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