Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is entering the NFL Draft after the NCAA denied his waiver request for an additional year of eligibility, according to multiple reports.
Tagovailoa entered the transfer portal Jan. 5 following three seasons at Maryland. He was out of eligibility and needed to seek a waiver from the NCAA, which was denied.
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According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban — who coached Tagovailoa during his freshman season in 2019 — and the Crimson Tide wrote “a strong plea” to the NCAA in support of the quarterback.
Tagovailoa became the Big Ten Conference’s all-time passing leader last season. Across four seasons with the Terrapins, he threw for 11,256 yards, and he also broke numerous program records.
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Tagovailoa owns the career passing touchdowns and yardage records at Maryland. He eclipsed 3,000 passing yards each season.
Now turning his focus to the NFL Draft, Tagovailoa will present a dynamic skill set that offers passing and running threats. He ran for 207 yards and 13 touchdowns in his Terrapins career.
