Crimson Tide legend Tua Tagovailoa advised his younger brother Taulia to dismiss a significant transfer offer from Auburn.
College football is more captivating than ever, with new storylines emerging constantly. One notable story isn’t about Alabama allegedly tampering to recruit Miami-Ohio transfer Graham Nicholson—who was in the Transfer Portal for a week before announcing his move to Alabama, and Kalen DeBoer has denied any wrongdoing.
The more intriguing narrative involves the Tagovailoa family and Auburn’s efforts to recruit Taulia Tagovailoa from Maryland. According to “The Price,” a new book co-authored by the respected Armen Keteyian, Auburn offered Taulia $1.5 million to join their team. The book reveals that Taulia was keen on securing a strong NIL deal, which Maryland couldn’t match. Galu Tagovailoa, who has been highly involved in his sons’ football careers, was rumored to have pushed for Taulia to transfer from Maryland to Miami.
Tua a Crimson Tide Gump Story
Lia chose to accept a significantly lower salary to stay at Maryland, largely influenced by Tua’s disapproval of Auburn. According to “The Price,” Tua reportedly said, “We’re an Alabama family. You’re not going to Auburn.”
Alabama fans will likely remember this as a classic ‘Gump’ story for years. It seems that Tua’s influence over Lia was as strong as their father Galu’s. Tua had developed a close bond with former Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley during their time in Tuscaloosa.
Locksley was relieved when a six-figure NIL deal was enough to keep Taulia at Maryland, saying, “I got a homeboy discount because we ain’t paying him one point five [million].” Maryland might have paid that amount if they could have, but funds were limited.
The situation raises questions about the Auburn program and Hugh Freeze. Auburn ended up with Payton Thorne instead. While many might assume Drew Brees holds the Big Ten’s all-time passing yards record, Taulia actually surpassed both Brees and Purdue’s Curtis Painter with 11,256 yards. Taulia would have been a better fit for Auburn than Thorne, and the fact that Auburn failed to secure him despite making a larger offer speaks volumes about Auburn and Freeze’s recruiting challenges.
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