Tua Tagovailoa's brother reportedly had a miserable Pro Day that could cost him

Maryland held its Pro Day on March 29, but it was overshadowed by the inaugural Big 12 Pro Day, a conference-wide pro day that debuted at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Maryland only has a handful of NFL prospects and none of them are projected to be selected before the fifth round.

The average fan is unfamiliar with most of Maryland's players, but one player already stands out as a household name: Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after a brief stint in the transfer portal. He was originally seeking a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility, but the waiver was denied by the NCAA.

Taulia Tagovailoa struggles at pro day workout

Tagovailoa participated in Maryland's pro day but received "tepid reviews" from scouts, according to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.

"Tagovailoa showed little arm talent, and his deep passes displayed little speed and even fluttered according to those on hand," Pauline wrote.

The pro day circuit is the last chance for prospects to impress team scouts with on-field drills. For prospects like Tagovailoa, who did not receive an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, the pro day workout could be the only chance to impress teams. A poor pro day can be even more concerning than a poor Combine performance would have been, since the pro day is planned, choreographed, and hosted by the prospect's school.

Tagovailoa will have a difficult time following in the footsteps of his older brother. The younger Tagovailoa is projected to be selected in the seventh round or to be a priority free agent — a far drop from his older brother, who was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Tagovailoa began his collegiate career with Alabama in 2020, where he played five games before transferring to Maryland. Tagovailoa started in 41 games during his four years in Maryland and set school records with 955 completions, 11,256 yards, and 76 touchdowns. His career completion percentage (67.1 percent) is also a school record. Tagovailoa compiled at least 3,000 yards passing in the past three seasons and never had a losing record in a full season as a starter. He led Maryland to a bowl win in each of the last three years.

Still, Tagovailoa was plagued with accuracy issues throughout his final year. He finished with 11 interceptions in 2023, while continuing to struggle with throwing the ball on time and navigating the pocket against pressure. He could find a spot for himself in the league if he lands with a stable organization that can help him develop.