2024 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Taulia Tagovailoa, QB Maryland
Welcome to the Exclusive Sneak Peek: Taulia Tagovailoa, a Quarterback from Maryland. He is from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and was a 4-star recruit out of Thompson High School in Alabama.
Tagovailoa attended Alabama as a redshirt freshman but transferred to Maryland after that season after being buried behind Mac Jones on the depth chart. With Bryce Young thought to be the future quarterback for the Crimson Tide he opted to move on.
In 2020 as a freshman at Maryland, he appeared in 13 games. He totaled 1,011 passing yards with 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
2021 was when he broke out as a junior when he appeared in 13 games and racked up 3,860 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, all collegiate career highs. He posted similar stats in 2022 as a junior where he played in 12 games and totaled 3,008 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.
His final collegiate career came as a senior for Maryland in 2023. He appeared in 12 games and put up a solid 3,377 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Measurables
Height: 5’10” (1st-percentile)
Weight: 200 lbs (3rd-percentile)
Age: 22.2
Class: Junior
NCAA Statistics
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| *2019 | Alabama | SEC | FR | QB | 5 | 9 | 12 | 75.0 | 100 | 8.3 | 10.0 | 1 | 0 | 172.5 |
| 2020 | Maryland | Big Ten | SO | QB | 4 | 75 | 122 | 61.5 | 1011 | 8.3 | 6.9 | 7 | 7 | 138.5 |
| *2021 | Maryland | Big Ten | SO | QB | 13 | 328 | 474 | 69.2 | 3860 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 26 | 11 | 151.1 |
| *2022 | Maryland | Big Ten | SR | 12 | 262 | 391 | 67.0 | 3008 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 18 | 8 | 142.7 | |
| *2023 | Maryland | Big Ten | SR | QB | 12 | 290 | 437 | 66.4 | 3377 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 25 | 11 | 145.1 |
| Career | Overall | 964 | 1436 | 67.1 | 11356 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 77 | 37 | 146.1 | ||||
| Alabama | 9 | 12 | 75.0 | 100 | 8.3 | 10.0 | 1 | 0 | 172.5 | |||||
| Maryland | 955 | 1424 | 67.1 | 11256 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 76 | 37 | 145.9 | |||||
Scouting Reports
Strengths
- Possesses a very strong, stocky build despite his height limitations.
- Is a good runner and a solid tackle-breaker in space.
- He is a very accurate and confident passer.
- Is a natural athlete with an obvious upside despite his size.
Weaknesses
- His size is a major concern. He is the same size as Bryce Young and he struggled mightily as a rookie.
- Has solid arm strength but not an elite amount.Has inconsistent footwork that leads to poor ball placement at times.
- He has an extensive history of injuries including a severe ankle injury. Could have durability issues as a pro.
- Has a bad habit of throwing off his back foot at times.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital: Late Round 6/Early Round 7
Ideal Landing Spot: Cleveland Browns
The Browns are locked into Deshaun Watson on a long-term, high-value contract, so they won’t be investing in an immediate starting quarterback. Tagovailoa could be a good project quarterback for them in the event Watson is unable to turn things around.
Tagovailoa is not in the elite tiers of rookie quarterbacks, but he has shown plenty of potential. He would benefit from sitting behind a veteran quarterback for some seasoning, although I’m not sure Watson is the veteran presence he needs to properly grow.
Regardless of who he is behind, Tagovailoa would be great on someone’s roster as a developmental long-term project.
