Rumors spreading on social media that Alabama quarterback Taulia Taigovailoa would transfer and potentially to the Miami football program have not been substantiated by any credible source.
The quarterback room for Alabama will be the deepest in the country in 2020. Rising sophomore Taulia Taigovailoa might not wait around according to several unsubstantiated rumors flying through social media this week. The Miami football program has been alleged to be a possible destination for the Hawaiian native.
Tagovailoa’s older brother Tua left Alabama a year early to declare for the NFL Draft. The rumor regarding Taulia joining the Miami football program centers around Tua being projected to the Miami Dolphins with the fifth pick in the NFL draft. The chatter is that where Tua is drafted is where Taulia will transfer to.
The timing of Taulia signing with Miami if Tua is drafted by the Dolphins would fit. Miami has graduate transfer QB D’Eriq King joining them for the 2020 season. Heading into 2021, Miami will potentially have Tate Martell and N’Kosi Perry entering their redshirt senior seasons and incoming 2020 freshman Tyler VanDyke.
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Rising 2020 redshirt freshman Peyton Matocha is currently on the Miami roster to add depth. Matocha did not play at all for Miami in 2019. Tagavailoa played in five games for Alabama in 2019, completing 9-12 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Taulia will compete with returning starter Mac Jones and freshman Bryce Young.
The rumors surrounding the potential transfer have swirled throughout various blogs and social media have focused on several different programs. The Tagovailoa name carries a lot of cache. Destinations other than Miami that have been mentioned in addition to Miami are Michigan and Tennessee.
Michigan is a possibility if Tagaovailoa wants to play close to his brother. The Lions could reportedly trade incumbent starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. Ann Arbor is about 40 miles from Detroit. Tennessee seems highly unlikely. The Titans would have to move up in the draft to have a chance to draft Tua.
If the scenario of the Titans selecting Tua Tagovailoa in the draft is realized, Nashville, where the Titans are located and Knoxville, the home of the University of Tennessee, are 180 miles apart. Taulia would need a waiver transferring within the SEC as a non-graduate transfer. Tuscaloosa is 246 miles from Nashville.