Mike Locksley hints that Taulia Tagovailoa could seek transfer, despite eligibility concerns

Taulia Tagovailoa made waves earlier in the week when he decided to opt-out of Maryland’s bowl game against Auburn.

Many believed it was as simple as the quarterback heading to the NFL. However, Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley dropped a bomb during an appearance on The Vinny & Haynie Show, explaining that Tagovailoa could also be looking to transfer to a different school as an option, if possible.

“When he came to sit down and then he made the decision that he didn’t want to play in the bowl game in an effort to pursue future opportunities, whether it be the NFL, whether it be transferring, if in fact there were more time available. It was a pretty easy conversation because the mutual respect was there,” Locksley explained. “He’s done enough and has done what we needed him to do for our program.

“We’re very thankful but at the same time, we’ve also given him a huge platform to showcase the abilities we all have come to love.”

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Tagovailoa would have to apply for a waiver to be eligible for another season of college football, as he’s already played the maximum amount of years. In addition to proving he should be eligible for another season, both Maryland and his former school in Alabama would have to sign off on it, as well.

The situation is complicated by Tagovailoa’s five games with the Crimson Tide as a freshman back in 2019, where he completed 9-of-12 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Of course, that puts him over the four-game limit a redshirt is allowed.

Nevertheless, Tagovailoa is hoping to one day find the success his older brother Tua Tagovailoa has found with the Miami Dolphins at the NFL level.

A fascinating wrinkle in the news is that if the quarterback is granted another year of college football, it’s being reported that his family “would like to bring him to the city where his brother is,” which would mean a move to Miami in all likelihood.

Alas, it’s evident there’s still much more of a football journey for Talia Tagovailoa to go on, whether it’s at the next level or in college football next season. Time will tell where he ends up, and if his potential plan comes to fruition.

More on Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland Terrapins

In 2023, Taulia Tagovailoa finished with 3,377 yards, 25 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 66.4% completion percentage. Over the course of his career (one year with the Crimson Tide and four with the Terrapins), Tagovailoa had 11,356 yards, 77 touchdowns, 37 interceptions and a 67.1% completion percentage.

As a member of the Class of 2019, Tagovailoa was a four-star recruit out of Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 8 overall prospect in the state when he committed to Alabama, the No. 8 quarterback in the class and the No. 188 overall prospect in the class.

Throughout the course of his time in the Big Ten, Tagovailoa received rave reviews around the conference, including from Penn State coach James Franklin earlier this season.

“Really good player,” Franklin said. “Statistically, he’s number one in every category at the University of Maryland; they’ve had some good quarterbacks all the way back to Boomer Esiason, Frank Reich and a ton of guys that play there.

“The thing that makes him challenging is not only his decision-making as a passer and the weapons they have around him but also his athleticism, his quickness, and his ability to improvise. Those are the things that become most challenging.”