Taulia Tagovailoa becomes third Terp to accept Shrine Bowl invite

With his status for 2024 solidified, former Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has now shifted his attention to the pros as he became the third Terp to accept an invite to the East-West Game, set for Thursday, Feb. 1 on 8 PM. Tagovailoa joins former Maryland CB Ja'Quan Sheppard and OT Gottlieb Ayedze in the game as the Terps look to produce multiple NFL Draft picks. The news comes days after Tagovailoa was officially denied a sixth season of eligibility, a move that became apparent once former Washington State QB Cam Ward became the second offseason transfer for Miami (FL). The projected day three pick will now look to shine in a game that's recently produced NFL quarterbacks like Aidan O'Connell and Brock Purdy, while Devin Leary (Kentucky), Jordan Travis (FSU), Jack Plummer (Louisville) and Kedon Slovis (BYU) are among the quarterbacks set to suit up. Giants OC Mike Kafka and Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower are the two head coaches for the upcoming game. Taulia Tagovailoa ended his Maryland career after opting out of the Music City Bowl vs. Auburn, making his final game as a Terp a memorable one as he became the Big Ten's all-time passing leader. “I have to remove the attachment because I love hard, I’ve got a big heart for the guys that I have a chance to coach and recruit. They’re not easy conversations. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him to say, ‘coach I’m not going to play in the game.’ He still has, like I said, other decisions to kind of make…I’ve got to get over it, the attachment piece," Locksley said in December. "I love them to death, great kid, did tremendous amount for our program. The relationship goes back to 2016 when I was at Alabama and we started recruiting Tua and the family migrated to Alabama so I have nothing but utmost respect and very thankful for what they’ve been able to do as a family for my career, to be honest with you. Very supportive of whatever his future looks like.” The game will be broadcast on NFL Network. Related Links

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