The junior made his widely anticipated announcement at a news conference with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
The NFL draft begins April 23 in Las Vegas.
“I’ve had a difficult time making this decision,” Tagoviloa said at a news conference. “But with lots of prayers, I will enter the NFL draft.”
#Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa has announced that he’s declaring for the NFL Draft. He’s a likely first-rounder — even with the hip injury. Read about him here: https://t.co/cUwHoTBl8z
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 6, 2020
Tagoviloa was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2018 after throwing for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns. He appeared to be on a Heisman-winning pace in 2019, throwing for 2,844 yards and 33 touchdowns, but suffered a hip injury against Mississippi State on Nov. 16, AL.com reported.
Tagovailoa's durability has been a question mark. He suffered three ankle sprains in less than a year, AL.com reported.
However, there was never any question about his ability. Tagovailoa rallied Alabama to a national title in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship. Substituting for Jalen Hurts, Tagovailoa threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith in overtime to give the Crimson Tide a 26-23 victory against Georgia, CBS Sports reported.
“He’s probably had as much of an impact as any player we’ve had,” Saban said at the news conference. “And not just on the field.”
Crimson Tide wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, offensive lineman Jedrick Wills and defensive back Xavier McKinney already declared for the NFL draft. Offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood and linebacker Dylan Moses announced they would return to Alabama for the 2020 season.
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