As we hit the summer portion of the offseason, Touchdown Alabama Magazine will release a series of player spotlight pieces on starters and marquee contributors for the 2019 football season. In these articles, we will dive into the strengths and weaknesses of each player, provide expectations for 2019, give NFL Draft projections for those who are eligible, and conclude with how each one can impact the team.
The first player is Tua Tagovailoa.
Tua Tagovailoa’s attributes
-Position: Quarterback
-Classification: Junior
-Height/Weight: 6-0/230
-2018 stats: 3,966 passing yards, 43 TD passes, six INT’s
Strengths
-Arm talent (accuracy)
-Mobility
-Leadership
Summary: Ever since his touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith in 2017, where he spun out of danger to find him for the score versus Vanderbilt, no one questions the accuracy of Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback.
When given time in the pocket, he has proven to be the most gifted distributor of the football in the collegiate game. NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said Tagovailoa tape is “off the charts,” upon comparing him to others at the position for next fall.
While his 43 touchdown passes through the first eight weeks of 2018 spoke to his placement of passes, his five rushing scores are credited to his mobility. Tagovailoa is not the power runner that Jalen Hurts (now at Oklahoma) was, but the native Hawaiian is deceptive with his feet.
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Russell Wilson is Tagovailoa’s NFL comparison. Both guys are short in stature, but excel at extending plays.
Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young is another one that Tagovailoa is often compared to.
Despite not being an “in your face” type of leader, the former five-star guides his team by making the right calls on the field. He has also changed the mentality of his head coach, Nick Saban, to some degree.
The 67-year-old is now more in touch with his emotions and does not mind hugging players, as Tagovailoa has displayed how being polite does get you far in life.
Another area of his leadership is his refusal to want to come off the field.
He played injured down the stretch of last season and though Hurts was called upon in the SEC title game, Tagovailoa would have much rather been able to be on the field in some capacity to help the team.
He has the Tom Brady complex of not wanting anyone to do his job better than he can.
Weaknesses
-Durability
-Anxiety (big plays)
-Anticipation (tends to guess at times)
Summary: He’s a tough competitor and it’s a great trait to have; nevertheless, one could sense concerns on the faces of Alabama fans when Tagovailoa chose to run the ball or take a sack.
The best ability is availability and for him, the injuries started last spring.
Tagovailoa sustained a fracture to his throwing hand, which caused a commotion within the Tuscaloosa (Ala.) community and surrounding areas. After that, a knee issues occurred in the Crimson Tide’s win over Arkansas.
Upon the conclusion of that matchup, it seemed as though cameras would follow Tagovailoa and the team’s medical tent intently as he spent much time getting worked on late in the year. The knee brace he wore bothered him and he suffered an ankle mishap versus Georgia in the SEC title game, which sidelined him in the fourth quarter.
McShay and ESPN First Take analyst Stephen A. Smith both singled-out durability as a major problem for Tagovailoa. He has to find a way to hold up throughout next season, especially with Alabama continuing to locate its leaders on defense. He will have an offensive line that is much-improved, but the Heisman finalist and consensus All-American has to protect himself as well.
Tagovailoa’s desire to create big plays is what endears to Tide fans; however, it is also a weakness for him. The anxiety to produce a quick strike touchdown drive on every possession has led to some mistakes from him.
When he does not get the big play, Tagovailoa appears frustrated and it results in him trying to do too much.
All six of his interceptions were a product of his anxiety. The biggest thing for him moving forward is trusting his check down options and throwing the ball away, if needed.
Anticipating receivers getting open and delivering passes on time are both critical aspects at quarterback.
Despite him having a handle on reading receivers and leading them to open space, Tagovailoa tends to guess at times as to where the playmakers will be. Sometimes he is accurate and there are other moments where defenses fool him.
He has to become sure in his anticipation.
Expectations for 2019 season
He set multiple single-season school records last year, but the objective for Tagovailoa is to win a national championship as the starter.
Quarterbacks at the University of Alabama are judged by their abilities to guide teams to national titles as starters. His numbers are expected to be even better in the fall, but look for more balance within the offense.
He will be in the running once again for an opportunity at the Heisman Trophy; however, it is not the driving force for him.
Projection NFL Draft 2020
Tua Tagovailoa: First Round (No. 1 overall)
Tagovailoa’s competition: Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma), Jake Fromm (Georgia), Jake Bentley (South Carolina), Kelly Bryant (Missouri), Justin Herbert (Oregon), Jacob Eason (Washington) and Sam Ehlinger (Texas)
Conclusion
Tagovailoa will have the pressure on him to deliver a title in the fall.
He’s had a bunch of people preparing him for this moment – including Super Bowl champion and founder of the Elite 11 quarterback competition, Trent Dilfer. Dilfer has been singing the Hawaiian’s praises since Alabama signed him in 2017 and dubbed him as the greatest passing prospect he had ever seen. Tagovailoa has taken steps of maturation to this point, but he now must put all that he’s learned together in order to the ultimate dream: holding the CFP trophy.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
