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With the fifth pick of the 2020 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, Alabama. Sure Tua was 22-2 as a starter in his collegiate career including a timeless and legendary win in a national championship game but what about Taulia?
Taulia Tagovailoa is the younger brother of Tua who just made waves on the national scene when he put his name into the portal after initially following his brother's footsteps (and family’s) to Alabama. Taulia as a high school prospect, was rated the 180th best recruit in 2019 and rated as the fifth best pro style quarterback.
Tua's little brother Taulia Tagovailoa is exploring leaving Alabama and entering the NCAA transfer portal, per @mzenitz pic.twitter.com/nyQBUmMcBC
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) May 8, 2020
Listed at 5’11, he would be slightly shorter than Tua but I don’t necessarily think his one inch height disparity is an evident detriment. Taulia is good. Damn good. Taulia Tagovailoa had more than 7,500 yards, 71 TDs passing, along with nearly 600 yards, and 11 TDs rushing in just his final 2 years of HS. (Credit Cam Underwood)
Watching his high school film I saw Taulia with good pocket presence, good es-capability and the ability to have different trajectories on the ball. Footwork back then was a little variant but I am sure his days at Alabama rectified most of that.
Can you quarterback throw with multiple trajectories...touch passes? Frozen Ropes? Well Taulia DEFINITELY checks the option B box. @TheStateOfTheU Miami reunion? #canes pic.twitter.com/gcLeAdgIlf
— rOmaN (@Romancane) May 12, 2020
The ability to rub elbows with an NFL coached quarterback in Tua should not be understated. Ultimately I look at Taulia a little differently. I would put him in the group of 2021 quarterbacks even though he was a class of 2019 kid.
You need to take a quarterback every year and if Taulia signed with Miami this year he would potentially take a spot of a 2021 quarterback prospect. And for the record I am totally OK with that.
I am not pitting Taulia against his brother who is obviously a better overall prospect as evident with Tua being a first round selected NFL caliber quarterback. But Taulia isn’t taking a back seat to any of the Miami offers out at this point either.
You can argue Taulia is not as good as Tua. Fine. But which one of the 2021 prospects we have broken down is? Get your popcorn and enjoy this rewind edition of Taulia Tagovailoa. Let the debate begin.