Taulia Tagovailoa waiver approved by NCAA, immediately eligible to play for Maryland

The Alabama transfer eligible to take the field for the Terrapins in 2020

Head coach Mike Locksley and the Maryland Terrapins football program received some bad news on Friday, as four players opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One of said players was quarterback Josh Jackson, the presumptive starter entering the season. However, the program received some good news later on in the day.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Taulia Tagovailoa’s transfer waiver was approved by the NCAA, making him immediately eligible to play for Maryland this season. Talk about some good luck.

Tagovailoa to prove his worth with the Terrapins

The news was welcome for the Terrapins, because if Tagovailoa’s waiver had not been approved, the only eligible quarterback on the roster would be redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre.

Alabama successfully received the commitment of four-star recruit Taulia, the younger brother of now-Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua. In his senior year at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala., Tualia completed 61.3% of his passes for 3,684 yards, 35 touchdowns and five interceptions, per MaxPreps. Tagovailoa also rushed for 428 yards and six scores on 64 carries.

It was the Tua/Mac Jones show for the majority of the 2019 campaign, but Taulia jumped up from the third spot on the depth chart to the backup role after his older brother suffered a season-ending hip injury back in November against Mississippi State.

Taulia appeared in just three games for the Crimson Tide this past season, where he completed 9-of-12 pass attempts for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Even with this news, Tagovailoa will still have to compete with LeGendre for the starter’s role. But, it will only be a matter of time until we see the younger Tagovailoa gunslinger start under center for the Terrapins in 2020, as long as there are no setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.