QB1: Tagovailoa Takeover - University of Maryland Athletics (2024)

This past offseason, Maryland football was trying to find its identity and figure out what kind of team it would be. To maximize space and time, head coach Michael Locksley broke the team up into two workout groups, 7 a.m., and 8 a.m., with players only expected to show up during their allotted time.

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa made it a point to not just be there for half of his teammates, but for all of them. That’s why the junior decided to attend both groups and show his commitment to the team and to lead his teammates during the dog days of the preseason.

Since Tagovailoa arrived in College Park in 2020, he has blossomed into one of the most gifted passers in school history. With his talent well documented, Tagovailoa has taken it upon himself to lead the charge for Maryland football.

“Lia came in during the middle of a pandemic and didn't get to know his teammates like a quarterback typically would,” Locksley said. “Coach-driven teams have a chance to be good, but it's the player-driven ones that usually are excellent, and we've seen it out of him here.”

Coach-driven teams have a chance to be good, but it's the player-driven ones that usually are excellent, and we've seen it out of him here.

Michael Locksley on Taulia Tagovailoa

A shortened 2020 season gave way to some of the best quarterback play the team has seen in recent years. A dramatic comeback overtime win against Minnesota on Oct. 30 and a decisive victory over Penn State on Nov. 7 being the highlights.

Tagovailoa was in the middle of those wins with his combined six touchdown passes against the Gophers and Nittany Lions, throwing for the most yards over a two-game span for a Maryland quarterback since 1994. The Hawaiian signal-caller hasn’t craved the spotlight, but he’s learned how to become a leader for his teammates.

Wide receiver Rakim Jarrett is similar to Tagovailoa in having a calmer, more playful demeanor while letting his play do the talking. It’s because of that, Jarret appreciates his quarterback’s efforts to buckle down and be a serious competitor when he needs to be.

“He's a fun, playful guy,” Jarrett explained. “He always likes to joke around, but when it's time to work, it's time to work.”

The offense was humming to start the season with Tagovailoa throwing the football all around the field to Jarrett, Dontay Demus Jr., and Maryland’s talented receiving corps. However, the production took a hit with Demus Jr. going down with an injury in the game against Iowa. The Biletnikoff Award nominee was so impactful that his numbers for the first month continued to rank among the top of the Big Ten even weeks after he stopped playing.

Jarrett, Carlos Carriere, Chigoziem Okonkwo and others have stepped up since Demus’ injury. As Locksley and Tagovailoa reiterate weekly, they must have a next-man-up mentality to replace production.

While production is difficult to replace, finding a substitute for leadership can be even more challenging as not every player is wired to be a leader of their peers.

Demus Jr. had been an emotional rock for his teammates for the past two seasons as everyone looked to him to bring necessary energy to practices and games. Now, while he’s recovering from his injury, it’s up to the players on the field to fill that void.

When Demus Jr. went down, it was Tagovailoa who knelt down next to his fallen teammate and stayed with him until the cart made its way onto the field. A touching moment at the time that showed the two really cared for each other, but it also served as a passing-of-the-torch moment.

“That's my brother, so I was just trying to be there for him,” Tagovailoa said. “I just told him we got his back.”

When Tagovailoa led Maryland back late to defeat Illinois, 20-17 on Sept. 17, the quarterback yelled in joy towards his coach and told him, “I’ve got you!” to which Locksley just smiled back and responded with a hug.

This kind of energy is found every week on the sideline and in the endzone, and it’s not going unnoticed by his teammates.

“No matter what we're doing, you always see him yelling, getting guys hyped, just being a beacon of positive energy,” wide receiver Brian Cobbs said. “He's obviously extremely talented at the quarterback position. We know he's going to put us in the right position to be successful. Taulia has just been a tremendous leader on and off the field. He's definitely a person that kind of helped change the culture around here.”

He's a fun, playful guy. He always likes to joke around, but when it's time to work, it's time to work.

Rakim Jarrett on Taulia Tagovailoa

Taulia has just been a tremendous leader on and off the field. He's definitely a person that kind of helped change the culture around here.

Brian Cobbs on Taulia Tagovailoa

Locksley and Tagovailoa have had a strong relationship since before their time at Maryland, and it has carried over to this season. Together, they have created one of the strongest passing attacks in the country, with Tagovailoa having five games with over 300 yards passing which is the most in the Big Ten and already tying a program record.

So far this season, he’s thrown for a Big Ten-best 2,755 yards on 239 completions with 18 touchdowns. He ranks third in passing yards for a single season by a Maryland quarterback, trailing only John Kaleo’s 3,392 in 1992 and Scott Milanovich’s record of 3,499 in 1993. He also stands third all-time at Maryland in single season completions and fifth in single season touchdowns.

If the season ended today, his completion percentage of 70.5% would be the best in school history. If current trends hold, the Ewa Beach, Hawaii, native has a chance at breaking multiple single-season passing records.

With just three games remaining on the schedule and the team one win away from becoming bowl eligible, Tagovailoa is taking everything in stride and not pressing the issue. For him, it’s about putting everything into perspective and playing the game he loves.

“You love the game so much and sometimes you work so hard and you may not get the result that you want,” Tagovailoa said. “I think that's the beauty of the game...that we get three more games to play. That we have a chance to be bowl eligible.”