Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa enters transfer portal seeking extra year of eligibility
BALTIMORE — In an expected move, record-setting Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will seek an extra year of eligibility to play a sixth college season, according to a source with direct knowledge of the move.
As a redshirt senior, Tagovailoa is not currently eligible to play in 2024, but he can receive a hardship waiver from the NCAA to return to the field at a new school.
In four seasons in College Park after transferring from Alabama, Tagovailoa set nearly every Maryland career passing record, including yards (11,256), touchdowns (76), completion percentage (.671) and 300-yard games (15). He was named second-team All-Big Ten in each of the past two seasons and helped the Terps reach three straight bowl games for the first time since 2001 to 2003.
After setting the Big Ten’s all-time passing mark in a 42-24 win over Rutgers in the regular-season finale Nov. 25, Tagovailoa opted out of the Music City Bowl against Auburn on Dec. 30. Led by backup quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. and Cameron Edge, Maryland (8-5) rolled, 31-13, over the Tigers (6-7) to win bowls in three consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.
Before the game in Nashville, Tenn., coach Mike Locksley and several Terps players said they did not have a problem with Tagovailoa deciding not to play against Auburn. It’s become common for star players entering the NFL draft or transferring to another school to sit out bowl games to avoid risking injury. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and USC’s Caleb Williams, the past two Heisman Trophy winners, were among several standouts who did not play in the postseason.
“He handled it the right way,” coach Mike Locksley said of Tagovailoa last month. “Great family, great people. He’s got some decisions to make, and I’m excited for him, but this is across the country. This is happening to everybody. So Maryland fans, understand this happens to everyone, not just Coach Locks. So we’re good, we’ll be fine.”
While it’s unclear where Tagovailoa will play next season if declared eligible, Miami has been rumored as a popular landing spot. Tagovailoa’s older brother Tua is the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, and Hurricanes starter Tyler Van Dyke recently transferred to Wisconsin.
For successful college quarterbacks, the transfer market is big business. In November, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule estimated the cost of bringing in a high-end quarterback between $1 million to $2 million when factoring in name, image and likeness deals. At Big Ten media days in March, Tagovailoa revealed that he was offered $1.5 million to transfer to a Southeastern Conference school.
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Baltimore Sun reporter Edward Lee contributed to this article.
