Reports: Ex-Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa heading to 2024 NFL Draft after sixth-year waiver request is denied

Taulia Tagovailoa’s efforts to play a sixth season of college football are over.

According to multiple reports, the former Maryland QB will enter the 2024 NFL Draft after his waiver request for a sixth year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA. Tagovailoa skipped the Terrapins’ bowl game and entered the transfer portal to explore the possibility of playing at another school in 2024 had he been able to play college football for another season.

Tagovailoa, Maryland’s longtime starter, had petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year after he appeared in five games as a freshman at Alabama. College football players are allowed to appear in up to four games and still keep their redshirt. Tagovailoa surpassed that number by one in 2019 as he made five appearances and threw passes in three games. Two of those games came after his brother Tua had suffered a season-ending hip injury.

Taulia’s fourth game came when he entered for the final two snaps of Alabama’s blowout win over Mississippi State. Tua suffered the hip injury earlier in that game.

A week later against FCS Western Carolina, Taulia played in his fifth game of the season and threw two passes. Had he not appeared in that game, he could have played a sixth season of college football without a waiver thanks to the extra season of eligibility all players received because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to ESPN, Alabama and now-former coach Nick Saban supported Tagavailoa's efforts to get a waiver.

As Tua left for the NFL following the 2019 season, Taulia transferred to Maryland where he immediately saw the field. Over four years with the Terrapins, Tagovailia was 964-of-1,436 passing for 11,356 yards and 77 TD passes to 37 interceptions. He leaves College Park as the Terrapins’ all-time leading passer and became the Big Ten's career leader in passing yards in November.