Maryland QB Tagovailoa Granted 2020 Eligibility

Taulia Tagovailoa was granted a waiver from the NCAA to play in the upcoming football season.

Tagovailoa, former Alabama quarterback and brother of the Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa, chose to continue his football and academic career at the University of Maryland after entering the transfer portal on May 8. In 2019, the 5-foot-11, 214-pound sophomore threw for 100 yards and one touchdown.

Tagovailoa will play under Mike Locksley, Maryland's current head coach and former offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. Several SEC schools showed interest in Tagovailoa upon his graduation from Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, including LSU and Florida.

In his two years at Thompson, the Warriors went 23-3 and made the playoffs both years. In his senior year of high school, he led the Warriors to the Class 7A state championship, where they lost to Central-Phenix City.

His transfer coincided with the arrival of five-star quarterback Bryce Young, who joined the Crimson Tide this year after graduating from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Coupled with redshirt junior Mac Jones returning after starting four games last season, Tagovailoa saw few opportunities for first-team reps in 2020.

Tagovailoa is one of two scholarship quarterbacks at Maryland. He is up for the starting spot against redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre. Tagovailoa only has a summer's worth of work under his belt in Maryland but has already made an impact on offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery.

"Tremendous, tremendous hands in the RPO world and great vision," Montgomery said in an interview with Inside MD Sports. "Can really throw the football in the intermediate level and down the field."

Tagovailoa has three years of eligibility remaining.