Taulia Tagovailoa signs with CFL team after Big Ten's all-time leading passer fails to land on NFL roster

Tagovailoa gets his shot at professional football after four prolific seasons at Maryland

By Will Backus Jun 10, 2024 at 5:01 pm ET• 1 min read

The CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed former Maryland star quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the Big Ten's all-time passing leader. Tagovailoa, who ran out of eligibility after five seasons with the Terrapins, was not selected in the 2024 NFL Draft and did not sign with any NFL teams despite rookie minicamp tryouts with the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. 

Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, pursued a sixth year of eligibility with the intent to transfer in January, but his waiver was denied by the NCAA. He leaves college football as one of the most prolific passers in recent memory, with 956 completions for 11,256 yards and 76 touchdowns -- all of which are Maryland records -- in four years as the Terrapins' starter. 

Tagovailoa also holds Maryland's single-season records, set during a breakout 2021 effort, for passing yards (3,860), completions (328) and completion percentage (69.2%). He was a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection and helped Maryland to three straight bowl appearances under coach Mike Locksley.