Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, is headed to the NFL after six unsuccessful seasons in college.
Tagovailoa, who played four of his five collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, has been denied an exemption request to play a sixth year of college baseball, according to multiple reports.
He had hoped to skip the Terrapins' bowl game and enter the transfer portal so he could stay healthy and join another team for one more season.
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Maryland Terrapins #3 Taulia Tagovailoa steps down to make a pass during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on November 4, 2023 at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland. (G. Fiume/Getty Images)
Tagovailoa's petition stemmed from the fact that he played in just five games as a freshman at the University of Alabama, his brother's alma mater.
However, soccer players are allowed to play up to four games while wearing a red shirt. Tua injured his hip during the 2019 season, and two of Taulia's five games appeared after the injury, including a blowout loss to Mississippi State.
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ESPN reported that Nick Saban, who just retired as Alabama's head coach, supported Taulia's firing. However, it was not successful and Taulia will have to focus on playing at the next level.
Taulia committed to Maryland after his older brother entered the draft and was selected fifth overall by Miami.
Maryland Terrapins #3 Taulia Tagovailoa flies out of the pocket during a game against the Michigan Wolverines at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland on November 18, 2023. (G. Fiume/Getty Images)
In four seasons with the Terrapins, Taulia threw for 11,256 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions for a 67.1 percent completion percentage. He also scored 13 touchdowns on the ground and ran for 207 yards.
Unlike his older brother, Taulia is not expected to be the best player in this year's draft class. The right-handed quarterback is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, which is not typical quarterback height, and will be the first measurable height that teams have criticized.
It's not uncommon for shorter prospects to become great quarterbacks in the NFL, with players like Russell Wilson and Drew Brees finding success. But in a class packed with top-tier quarterback talent like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, Taulia's draft stock means he'll be a second- or third-day pick by the team, if at all. likely to be nominated.
Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa #3 during a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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We'll find out in April if the team ends up taking Taulia with one of their picks.
