Mike Locksley announces Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa opted out of Music City Bowl vs. Auburn

Taulia Tagovailoa opted out of Maryland’s bowl game against Auburn, according to head coach Mike Locksley.

The younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Taulia won’t play the final game of the 2023 season. The expectation is the Terrapins quarterback will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

One of the more prolific passers in the Big Ten, the young Tagovailoa is one step closer to joining his brother in the pros.

This season, 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 Alabama and four with Maryland), 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.

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.”

Franklin noted the experience from Tagovailoa was key to his development and success.

“Whenever you got a guy that’s played as much football as he has, that’s why I think there was so much confidence with Locks and those guys coming into the season and why they’re confident now,” Franklin said. “They’ve got a veteran, experienced, proven quarterback.”