NCAA reaches decision on Taulia Tagovailoa’s eligibility waiver

Taulia Tagovailoa looks up. Photo Credit: Mickey Welsh/Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK

Taulia Tagovailoa recently entered the transfer portal in hopes of playing for a new program next season, but that is not going to happen.

Tagovailoa had his waiver for an additional year of eligibility denied by the NCAA, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. Nick Saban was among those who tried to petition on Tagovailoa’s behalf, but the quarterback will now enter the NFL Draft.

Sources: Former Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa’s waiver for an additional year of eligibility has been denied. This is despite Nick Saban and Alabama writing a strong plea to the NCAA in his support. Tagovailoa will begin training for the upcoming NFL Draft.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 16, 2024

Tagovailoa has already played five college seasons and exhausted his eligibility. However, he had petitioned the NCAA to credit him with a redshirt year for 2019 so that he could play one more season in 2024. That waiver was not approved.

In 2019, Tagovailoa was a freshman at Alabama. He was the Crimson Tide’s third-string quarterback that season and played behind his brother, Tua, and Mac Jones.

Taulia appeared in five games that season, though he only recorded stats in three of those games. In the Tide’s 38-7 win over Mississippi State that year, Taulia played in the final two snaps just to honor his brother Tua, who had suffered a hip injury in the game.

Had he not played in that final game, Tagovailoa’s freshman season at Alabama would have been counted as a redshirt year. The NCAA was unwilling to make an exception. Tagovailoa recently expressed regret over his emotional decision to honor his older brother.

Taulia passed for 11,256 passing yards in four seasons at Maryland. He threw for 3,377 with 25 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing touchdowns this past season. He would have been a desirable player on the transfer market, but he will now have to hope an NFL team gives him a shot.