College Football

Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa's waiver reportedly denied, will enter NFL Draft

Published Jan. 16, 2024 2:03 p.m. ET

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Taulia Tagovailoa's college career is over.

The former Maryland quarterback's waiver for a sixth season of eligibility was denied by the NCAA, ESPN reported Tuesday. As a result, Tagovailoa will turn his attention to the upcoming NFL Draft.

Tagovailoa got a plea from his former college head coach, Nick Saban, in support of his quest to get an extra year of eligibility, ESPN added in its report. However, the former Alabama coach's reportedly "strong written" plea wasn't enough. 

Tagovailoa entered the transfer portal earlier in January as he hoped to keep his options open for the 2024 football season. It wasn't clear where Tagovailoa, who sat out Maryland's win over Auburn in the Music City Bowl, was eyeing to play next season if he remained in the college game.

"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, it was a pretty easy conversation because the mutual respect was there," Maryland head coach Mike Locksley told 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore of Tagovailoa's future. 

Taulia Tagovailoa shows off elite elusiveness in wild 7-yard passing TD to Roman Hemby as Maryland trims deficit against Penn State

Tagovailoa, who turns 24 in February, was one of the best passers in the Big Ten over the last few years. He also broke several program records over his four seasons at College Park. He threw for at least 3,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, including a conference-best 3,377 yards in 2023. He also led the conference in passing touchdowns (25) and interceptions (11), adding five rushing touchdowns. 

The younger brother of NFL star Tua Tagovailoa, Tagovailoa followed his older brother to Alabama as a high school recruit, joining the Crimson Tide in 2019. After appearing in five games as a backup in his true freshman season, Tagovailoa joined Locksley, a former Alabama offensive coordinator, at Maryland in 2020.

Tagovailoa hasn't been discussed as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft with a handful of others garnering early-round attention. 

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