Maryland Taulia Tagovailoa transfer portal eligibility

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa enters transfer portal, seeks extra year of eligibility; Liberty QB Kaidon Salter and WR CJ Daniels also transfer.

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has officially entered the transfer portal, seeking an additional year of eligibility at the college level. Tagovailoa, who is the younger brother of NFL star Tua Tagovailoa, made history this season by becoming the Big Ten's career leader in passing yards. Despite this achievement, he chose to skip Maryland's Music City Bowl matchup against Auburn.

In an effort to extend his college football career, Tagovailoa has applied for a waiver from the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. The University of Maryland has confirmed that they have filed the waiver request on his behalf. This comes after Tagovailoa's fourth season playing for the Terrapins, including a pandemic-shortened 2020 season and a stint with Alabama in 2019 before transferring to Maryland.

When questioned in November about his future at Maryland, Tagovailoa expressed uncertainty, stating, "I don't think I have any years of eligibility left, do I? Yeah, I think this has to be the last one." Despite this, he went on to set a single-season school record with 3,860 passing yards in 2021 and led the Terrapins to three consecutive bowl appearances.

Meanwhile, Liberty University's remarkable season has also seen some setbacks. Quarterback Kaidon Salter, responsible for a school-record 44 touchdowns, and wide receiver CJ Daniels, who recorded 55 receptions for 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns, have both entered the transfer portal. The No. 23 Flames, who finished the season with a 13-1 record, suffered a 45-6 loss to No. 8 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.

Salter's impressive performance included 2,876 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 1,089 rushing yards, and 12 scores, breaking the single-season Liberty record for combined touchdowns previously held by Malik Willis. Salter was recruited by Hugh Freeze, who is now the head coach at Auburn.

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