Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa closed out his college career with Maryland football this season, but not before setting a Big Ten record with 11,356 career passing yards.
Tagovailoa, brother of former Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, has opted out of Wednesday’s Music City Bowl against Auburn and will likely declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.
The quarterback’s career took a turn after he decided to transfer from the Crimson Tide after appearing in just five games as a freshman. In search of an increased role as a signal-caller, Tagovailoa headed to College Park, Maryland, to take over as the Terrapins quarterback. The move worked to tremendous success, as Tagovailoa set multiple Maryland passing records in his illustrious four-year career.
REQUIRED READING: Grading Alabama football’s 2024 recruiting class: How did the Crimson Tide fare?
Here’s what you need to know Tagovailoa’s decision to transfer from Alabama to Maryland:
Why did Taulia Tagovailoa transfer from Alabama to Maryland?
Taulia Tagovalioa decided to transfer from the Crimson Tide in favor of Maryland on May 15, 2020, in hopes of seeing more playing time with the Terrapins. Headed into the 2020 regular season, the departure of Tua Tagovaila to the NFL opened up the opportunity for his younger brother to compete for the starting position.
Ultimately, it was now-New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones who emerged as the starting quarterback at Alabama.
In an interview with Matt Zenitz of AL.com, Taulia Tagovailoa’s father, Galu Tagovailoa, said that his son was looking for the opportunity to compete for playing time elsewhere.
“It’s really tough and it’s nothing against Alabama,” Galu Tagovailoa said. “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.”
Taulia Tagovailoa also had familiarity with Maryland coach Mike Locksley, who worked under Nick Saban at Alabama from 2016-2018 in various positions on the offensive side of the ball. Locksley was the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator at Alabama during the 2018 season, so Taulia Tagovailoa and Locksley were already familiar with each other.
REQUIRED READING: The position where Alabama football still wants to add players for 2024, per Nick Saban
Locksley runs a quarterback-friendly system at Maryland, similar to the one Taulia excelled in during his brother’s Heisman finalist season in 2018. This familiarity and offensive fit likely made Maryland an attractive option for Taulia.
Maryland’s starting quarterback role was also there for the taking, as quarterbacks Max Bortenschlager and Tyrrell Pigrome had entered the transfer portal. That left Maryland with Lance LeGendre, a second-year quarterback from the 2019 class, and Josh Jackson, who transferred from Virginia Tech. Tagovailoa saw a chance to slot in as the leading signal-caller and jumped at the opportunity.
Taulia Tagovailoa stats at Alabama
Taulia Tagovailoa decided to transfer from Alabama after seeing little playing time in his freshman season. Tagovailoa appeared in just five games, completing 9 of 12 passing attempts for 100 yards. He also threw one touchdown during his time as a signal-caller for the Crimson Tide.
After a 2019 season that saw Tagovailoa sidelined due to lack of experience, the quarterback decided to transfer to Maryland, seeking an increased role.
REQUIRED READING: Will Eli Gold call the Rose Bowl? Here are Alabama football radio broadcast plans
Taulia Tagovailoa stats at Maryland
Taulia Tagovailoa is Maryland’s all-time leader in passing yards, throwing for 11,356 yards over the course of four seasons. He also led the Terrapins to three straight bowl game appearances as the starting quarterback from 2021 through 2023.
He set Maryland records for passing touchdowns (77), career completions (955), career completion percentage (67.1), and career 300-yard games (15). He also has 13 rushing touchdowns in that time.
This season, Tagovailoa racked up 3,377 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, one score shy of his single-season career high. That will be his final stat line at Maryland, which will take on Auburn in the Music City Bowl without him to cap the season.