Taulia Tagovailoa

Bio

Taulia Tagovailoa returns to the Pirates for a second season. The Big Ten’s all-time leader with 11,256 passing yards saw action in two games with the Pirates last season, making one start. In that game vs. the Bay Area Panthers, he completed eight of 17 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed nine times for 61 yards and two scores. 

The former Alabama and Maryland University quarterback, who holds numerous single-season and career passing records at the University of Maryland, is playing in his fourth professional league.

The 6’0”, 215 lb. signal caller began his pro career signing as an undrafted free agent in 2024 with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and went to minicamp. He later joined the Arizona Cardinals in their rookie minicamp. In June of that year, he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League and was on the practice squad for nine games. He was placed on the active roster on August 23 vs. Winnipeg, and the following week scored on a three-yard touchdown run against the Toronto Argonauts. In all, he was active for eight games and completed one pass for six yards. He also carried three times for ten yards and a score. He remained with Hamilton until May of 2025. That spring, he also played in the European League of Football.

The brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Taulia began his collegiate career at Alabama in 2019 and played behind his brother and Mac Jones. In five games as a true freshman, he was 9 of 12 passing for 100 yards and a touchdown.

The next season, the Ewa Beach, Hawaii native transferred to Maryland, where his college career took off. After four seasons with the Terps, Tagovailoa finished his career as the Big Ten’s All-Time passing leader with 11,256 yards. As a redshirt senior in 2023, he started all 12 games and completed 290 of his 437 attempts for 3,377 yards and 25 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for five touchdowns. He led the Big Ten in completions with 290, passing yards with 3,377, passing touchdowns (25), and 281.4 passing yards per game. Tagovailoa ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and completions per game. He also set a school record with 15 games with 300 passing yards.

At the end of the season, he was named a Second Team All-Big Ten selection for the second consecutive year. He was also an All-Big Ten Academic selection and the Polynesian Offensive Football Player of the Year.

His 2021 campaign saw Tagovailoa set Maryland single-season records in passing yards (3,860), completions (328), completion percentage (69.2%), passing touchdowns (26), and 300-yard passing games (7). He was also named New Era Pinstripe Bowl MVP, leading the Terps to a 54-10 win over Virginia, completing 20-of-24 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 42 yards on four carries.

Tagovailoa played in 41 games at Maryland and also holds school career records with 955 completions, 76 passing touchdowns, 11,473 total yards, and a completion percentage of 67.1 percent.

In 2025, he played internationally with the Hamburg, Germany Sea Devils in the European League of Football. From May through June of that year, Tagovailoa completed 20 of 46 passes for 315 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions as the team went 1 and 1. In a June 6, 31-14 victory over the Berlin Thunder, Tagovailoa was 15 of 29 passing for 230 yards and three touchdowns.