Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa may once again look to enter the transfer portal, according to a new report.
And interestingly, Taulia could look to be closer to his older brother in Miami Dolphins superstar signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa.
Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley confirmed in an appearance on “The Vinny & Haynie Show” (h/t Jeff Ermann of InsideMDSports from 247Sports) that Taulia has decided not to play in next Saturday’s Music City Bowl against Auburn. Locksley added that Tagovailoa wishes to look at other opportunities:
“When he came to sit down and then he made the decision that he didn’t want to play in the bowl game in an effort to pursue future opportunities, whether it be the NFL, whether it be transferring, if in fact there were more time available.”
But as Ermann noted, Tagovailoa would require a waiver from the NCAA, since he has already transferred (from Alabama to Maryland in 2020). Not only that, but Ermann added that Taulia’s family members “would like” him to come to Miami and reunite with his brother:
“The catch is in the final phrase of Locksley’s comment, referring to Tagovailoa’s eligibility status: he’s used all of it. He would need to win a waiver from the NCAA, which is no sure thing because there’s little precedent for any claim he’d need to make. He played in five games as a freshman at Alabama, one more than allowed to call it a redshirt season, so it would be difficult to cite a paperwork error, injury or other extenuating circumstances. Both Alabama and Maryland would need to sign off too, which also seems far from a sure thing.
But in this almost anarchic college sports age, you never know what a good lawyer can make happen. Tagovailoa’s family would like to bring him to the city where his brother, Tua Tagovailoa, is a star, sources in Miami and Maryland told IMS. Putting aside your possible Maryland fan hood, it’s a brilliant marketing idea, two brothers slinging it every weekend for two big-name teams in a flashy market? The marketing opportunities could be endless.”
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The 5-foot-11, 208-pound Taulia threw for 3,377 yards and 25 touchdowns against 11 interceptions to go along with five rushing scores. He will leave Maryland with 76 career passing touchdowns and 11,256 passing yards.
