Tua Tagovailoa has a big decision to make: Does he stay at Alabama for his senior season or does he leave for the NFL? He has now set an announcement date.
With a dominating 35-16 victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the 2020 Citrus Bowl, the Alabama Crimson Tide improved to 11-2 on the season. While it was the first time in six years Alabama wasn’t playing a bowl game with a national title on the line, it was an all-around great performance from the Crimson Tide and one Tua Tagovalioa looked to enjoy from the sidelines.
The injured junior quarterback has not played since dislocating his hip vs. the Mississippi State Bulldogs in November. When healthy, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in recent memory in college football. However, have we seen the last of him in Tuscaloosa? Will he be turning pro after his true junior year in the SEC?
Tagovailoa announced shortly after Alabama’s Citrus Bowl victory that he will make his decision regarding his football future on Monday, Jan. 6. His announcement date has been set for early next week, with him tweeting this out on Wednesday afternoon.
I’ll be making my decision on the 6th.. God bless and Roll Tide
— Tua. T 🇦🇸 (@Tua) January 2, 2020
His head coach Nick Saban commented on Tagovailoa’s impending decision about his future. Juniors and redshirt sophomores must announce their intentions to enter the 2020 NFL Draft by Jan. 17. Saban made it a point to say that it’s a decision the Tagovailoa Family has to figure out and one where the Alabama staff will help him make the best decision for him and his future.
“I think that’s my job with all the players, is to make sure they get the right information from the right people about what their status is so that they can make a business decision about what they do for their future,” said Saban. “And that’s what we’re going to continue to do and we’re going to continue to do that for Tua and his family.”
With Tagovailoa still being seen as a top-10, even a top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft despite his injury concerns, one would think that he’s played his last down for the Crimson Tide. Frankly, as long as he still projects as a first-round pick, he should go pro. That’s because he can land first-round money and potentially that fifth-year option should he be a top-32 pick this spring.
Of course, Tagovailoa may want to come back and play with his college teammates, looking to right a wrong by not even reaching the College Football Playoff this year. He may also want the chance to be the first Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Alabama history, something the likes of Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and A.J. McCarron were never able to accomplish before him.
Whatever decision Tagovailoa and his family come to on Monday should be respected. He has a bright football future ahead of him. While the Crimson Tide may love to have him back, we can’t reasonably expect he’ll play for free for another year when he can rehab as a millionaire as the next star signal-caller on a quarterback-desperate NFL franchise. He’ll make the right decision.
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