REPORT: Maryland Terrapins Sensational Record-Setting Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa Opts Out of 2023 Bowl Game

The Maryland Terrapins will be without one of the best quarterbacks in program history, Taulia Tagovailoa, for the Music City Bowl against the Auburn Tigers on Dec. 30, according to an announcement from head coach Michael Locksley.

Tagovailoa is now focusing on preparation for the 2024 NFL Draft. The former four-star is not a quarterback that many draft analysts have high on their boards. There is no guarantee that he will even be drafted, despite his gaudy numbers with the Terrapins.

A serious injury in a bowl game would make it nearly impossible for the record-setting quarterback to make an NFL team. Tagovailoa will end his Maryland Career beloved by Maryland fans and players alike.

Pretty cool to see. The Terps were waiting for Taulia to take a team photo while he was being interviewed. They bust out a chant for their quarterback. pic.twitter.com/UGOBF6uldE

— Michael Rovetto (@merovetto) November 26, 2023

If the Terrapins manage to pull off the win against an SEC foe without their long-time starting quarterback, it will make the first time in program history that Maryland won a bowl game three years in a row.

Maryland Terrapins QB Taulia Tagovailoa didn’t only set school records, but conference records as well

Tagovailoa’s 11,256 career passing yards are not only the most by a Maryland QB, but they are the most by any Big Ten QB in the history of the conference. The four-year starter was a second-team all-Big Ten selection two times in his career.

On top of his conference record, Tagovailoa also holds multiple program records. He is the Terrapins’ leader in:

• Career Passing Touchdowns – 76 (25 more than No. 2)
• Single-Season Passing Touchdowns – 26
• Touchdowns Responsible for – 89
• Career Completion Percentage – 67.1%
• Single-Season Completion Percentage – 69.2%
• Passing Efficiency – 145.9
• Career Completions – 955 (305 more than No. 2)
• Single-Season Completions – 328
• Career Passing Yards – 11,256 (3,955 more than No. 2)
• Single-Season Passing Yards – 3,860
• 300-Yard Passing Games – 15
• Single-Season 300-Yard Passing Games – 7

In an article from the Washington Post, Maryland Terrapins senior linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II expressed his gratitude for Tagovailoa as a teammate and a friend.

“Taulia’s my guy,” Terrapins senior linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II said. “Great brother, great teammate, great friend, not only to me but the whole team, and he’s meant a lot to this program, and he’s giving up a lot. He’s doing what’s best for him. He’s transitioning to that next level, and he’s moving on, so we’re pulling for him. We’re excited for him.”

Tagovailoa’s record-setting game came during a win against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, which would end up being his final game as a Terrapin. He threw for a season-high 361 yards en route to surpassing Curtis Painter’s previous record of 11,163 yards passing. This victory put the Maryland Terrapins over .500 for the third year in a row, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 2003.

Another Maryland teammate, wide receiver Jeshaun Jones, joined Hyppolite II in expressing his gratitude.

“Definitely surprising, but I’m happy for him, and I’m thankful for him and everything he’s done for me and for this program,” Jones said. “He’s played a huge role for me and my career here and a huge role in our team’s success. We’re all thankful for him and grateful for his time here.”

Maryland Terrapins QB Taulia Tagovailoa hopes to follow in his brother Tua’s footsteps

Both sporting one of the most recognizable surnames in sports, Taulia Tagovailoa and his brother Tua Tagovailoa are successful high-level quarterbacks. Tua has carved out a spot as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL with an outside shot in the MVP race this year.

Taulia has a chance to get drafted as a late-round pick assuming he enters the draft, but his brother Tua was a No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft. He was only the second QB taken off the board, after Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

The two brothers played with each other as a part of Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide squad, but Taulia was young and rarely saw the field before transferring to Maryland. Meanwhile, Tua was a Heisman finalist and a National Championship winning quarterback.

While Taulia’s lack of size hurts his draft stock, he may have a chance to overcome it in the same way his brother did before him. That being said, Tua’s small stature has already taken the brunt of the blame for gruesome injuries and that might negatively affect Taulia’s draft stock. Regardless, Taulia hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

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