Taulia Tagovailoa has been a bright spot for Maryland Football in its ascent up the ranks of College Football.

The Redshirt Senior spent his true freshman year as a backup at Alabama with his older brother Tua, along with Mac Jones. After just one season with the Crimson Tide, he transferred to Maryland and was almost immediately named the starting quarterback, topping the depth chart ever since.  

The second Team All-Big Ten Selection in 2022 wrote his name all over the school record books, heading the list in career passing yards, touchdowns, completions, and so on. 

After exceeding expectations over the last two years, leading the Terps to consecutive bowl wins for the first time since 2002-2003, the lights shine bright in preparation for the quarterback’s final run as a Terrapin.

Tagovailoa surpassed 8,000 career passing yards against Towson in the season opener. The Ewa Beach native accounted for four first-half touchdowns in a sound defeat over the in-state rival. 

But, poor offensive line play was apparent on Saturday, and Head Coach Mike Locksley will need this group to play well if they want to reach their potential in the Big Ten. 

“It was a little weird for me …  trying to figure out the best five, so we’re mixing and matching,” Locksley said. “We’re gonna continue to try to play as many guys as we can. I’d like to get settled on an offensive line.”

Tagovailoa played with frequent pressure behind a shaky offensive line that featured thirteen different players, including three different centers.

Maryland only returned one starter to their offensive line from last year, DJ Glaze. Amid the uncertainty, the Right Tackle didn’t allow a quarterback pressure in 42 pass blocks against Towson, according to Pro Football Focus. 

This gives the offense some much-needed experience up front. 

“We know that we need the offensive line and we’re all dependent on them,” Tagovailoa said. “I have a lot of trust in them. I think we’ll be good regardless of who’s in there.”

With another FCS opponent in Charlotte on the slate this Saturday night, Maryland’s offensive line is in a prime position to get back on the right track before they begin the brunt of their schedule.

“We’ve got what we think are nine guys that can play winning football for us,” Locksley said regarding his offensive line. “We’ll get a chance to evaluate the tape and see which group played the best together to take the next step next week.”