Taulia Tagovailoa Returns to DMV in First UFL Start
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One of the top quarterbacks to ever play for Maryland football returned to the DMV Saturday for a semi-pro opportunity.
Taulia Tagovailoa, a three-year Terps starter and the program’s record holder for completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and more suited up for the UFL's Houson Gamblers in their game at the D.C. Defenders.
But unlike many of his games in College Park, this one was nothing special.
Tagovailoa and the Gamblers were shut out in the first half, and they couldn't turn things around in what ended up a 45-7 Defenders victory.
Taulia finished the afternoon passing 21/40 (52%) for 171 yards with one touchdown and one interception (which became a pick-six). He also rushed four times for 23 yards.
His lone score came on this throw over the middle:
JUSTIN HALL TOUCHDOWN ‼️🤑🎲 pic.twitter.com/NW9QFIUzWI
— Houston Gamblers (@UFLGamblers) April 11, 2026
Despite the result, the chance to get back under center is something Taulia has been chasing for years.
After going undrafted in 2024, Tagovailoa signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League. He served as their third-string QB for a year, scoring one TD on the ground but otherwise not contributing much to the offense.
After spending 2025 in Indoor Football, Tagovailoa signed with the Gamblers just a few days before the 2026 UFL season began. Just like with the CFL, he began as a third-stringer.
Injuries to both men ahead of him - Hunter Dekkers and Nolan Henderson - led to Taulia getting the nod for Houston's Week 3 matchup.
Tagovailoa's Journey to Terpsville
The Big Ten's all-time leading passer got his start in the SEC, following his brother Tua to Alabama. But after appearing in five games off the bench for the Crimson Tide, Taulia chose to enter the transfer portal.
He chose to head to College Park and quickly became Maryland's starting QB. In the abbreviated COVID season, Tagovailoa threw for over 1,000 yards across four games. But that was just a small sampler of what was to come.
Taulia broke out in 2021 with a 69.2% completion rate, 3,860 passing yards, and a 26/11 TD/INT ratio. That included a performance that earned him Pinstripe Bowl MVP honors: 20/24 for 265 yards and two TDs against Virginia Tech.
The next two years were more of the same: over 3,000 passing yards with postseason berths. In his senior campaign, Tagovailoa led all of the Big Ten in pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.
He finished his college career with 11,256 passing yards and a 67.1% completion rate - both program and conference records - as well as several other Maryland records, including most 300-yard games (15), highest single-season completion rate (69.2%), and highest career passer-rating (145.9).
We'll see if Tagovailoa gets another chance with Houston next weekend.
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Mike joined Maryland On SI with over four years of sportswriting experience. He started off his career in Syracuse on the Orange football beat, where he was featured on CBS Sports' Cover 3 Podcast and local ESPN sports talk radio. After that, he had a brief stint reporting on Major League Baseball before returning to college sports.
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