If there was one thing the average Maryland fan craved ahead of Mike Locksley’s arrival, stability at quarterback would probably be one of the first answers. Fast-forward to the start of year five under Locksley and Taulia Tagovailoa has provided exactly that, now preparing for his fourth season under center in College Park.
The added familiarity boasts Maryland’s prospect for success heading into the season, but the valuable experience hasn’t gone unnoticed after being named one of conference’s best.
On Monday, BTN analyst Anthony Herron ranked Tagovailoa as the second-best quarterback in the Big Ten, ahead of Cade McNamara (Iowa), Tanner Mordecai (Wisconsin) and Drew Allar (Penn State) while JJ McCarthy (Michigan) took top honors.
“I don’t know that there are many players as important to their team’s success as Taulia Tagovailoa,” Herron added. “What Mike Locksley has done in College Park in continuing to build his offense around Tagovailoa and Taulia knows the system he’s in. There’s very few returning starters in Big Ten football, Taulia Tagovailoa is one of the few and he does it in an offense he knows extremely well. He does it in an offensive system that he’s very comfortable with and as they’ve been able to build that system around his skillset, we’ve seen now Taulia with a new crop of receivers that Mike Locksley is extremely excited about. The growth for Tagovailoa, being a guy who can consistently make that big play as a quarterback, I think that’s going to be showcased this season. He came back to Maryland for a reason. There were opportunities to go elsewhere whether you’re talking other programs in the portal or maybe the professional route. He came back and I do believe we’re going to see the best version.”
The opportunities to go elsewhere, of course, stem from Tagovailoa’s interview at Big Ten media day when he admitted to receiving a $1.5 million offer from another SEC school. The buzz was that Auburn was making a last-minute push to reel Tagovailoa in shortly before Maryland’s spring game, but Tagovailoa opted to remain in College Park. One week after Tagovailoa’s possible transfer hit the news cycle, the Tigers added former Michigan State QB Peyton Thorne.
With the potential attrition now behind Tagovailoa and Maryland, head coach Mike Locksley will look for his star to elevate the program once more.
“[Tagovailoa] has the ability to have a positive impact on others,” Locksley said. “[When] you have that type of leadership from that position, it gives you hope that you have a chance to go out and play…a way that he’s capable of playing consistently.”
His three-year career thus far has already helped Taulia shatter the record books, sitting first in eleven different categories while being named a Maxwell Award Watch List selection heading into the fall. With the first scrimmage of fall camp now in the books, he knows where the areas for improvement stand in his game.
“I think ball security for sure…my decision making. Knowing what checks to make, and making the plays,” Tagovailoa said. “I think last year, I think if you look at all of our close games, I think we were about nine plays away beating those teams, the Ohio States, the Michigans, the Purdues.”
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