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Will he stay or will he go?
Thousands of Alabama and college football fans alike await Tua Tagovailoa's NFL Draft announcement, after Alabama's junior quarterback tweeted this week
he is a few days away from making his decision public, one that'll have lasting effects ahead of the 2020 season for the Crimson Tide.
Nick Saban touched
on Tagovailoa's pending choice after Wednesday's blowout win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl leaving the decision up to his best player and his family.
āThatās a decision that I think his family needs to make, and Iām sure when they make that decision theyāll let everybody know,ā Saban said. āI think itās our responsibility and our job to make sure that we give them all the information from an NFL standpoint, from a medical standpoint, from a rehab standpoint ā and if there is any way that he could possibly be devalued because of his injury and what are the consequences to that and how does that affect his decision and what he does in the future.
āBut heās been a great leader for us. Heās a great player on the team. He was elected a captain of the team by his teammates. We just want whatās best for him. I think thatās my job with all the players is to make sure they get the right information from the right people about what their status is so they can make a business decision about what they do with their future. Thatās what weāre going to continue to do, and weāre going to continue to do that with Tua and his family.ā
In anticipation of Tagovailoa's announcement, here's what national media members are saying:
SEC Network host Peter Burns lays out the positives for Tagovailoa returning to Alabama and strengthening his draft stock with a banner season ā barring injury ā next fall. Should he choose to do that, the left-hander will likely take out an insurance policy on future earnings and follow the similar path taken by Clemson's Trevor Lawrence this season.
Plus one from Colin Cowherd, who vouched for Tagovailoa to go ahead and make the move to the next level. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and general manager Chris Grier attended the Citrus Bowl in Orlando and were seen pre-game chatting with Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Miami has long been rumored as the franchise who's most interested in Tagovailoa and the Dolphins have three first-round picks.
If Dylan Moses' announcement earlier this week that he'd return for his final season was the first domino, Tagovailoa coming back would be the nuclear warhead aimed at the rest of college football. His decision potentially raises Alabama from Top 10 team under Mac Jones' tutelage to national title shortlist should he come back. It should be noted that Allbright is one of the more respected football insiders and this week is likely based on what he's hearing in NFL circles. From the jump, national opinions have centered around whether Tagovailoa will be healthy enough pre-draft to throw in front of NFL teams.
Saban advises players to stay unless they're a "Top 15 or 20" pick he said this week and right now, Tagovailoa is the only player to receive such praise from NFL personnel. Saban was asked about the timetable for Tagovailoa's return now more than a month removed from surgery.
āIām not a doctor,ā Saban said on Wednesday. āI haven't operated on anybodyās hip before. Iām struggling to be a good coach, which is plenty to do for me. I think thatās a question for a medical person. We have a lot of hip specialists that have given the family a lot of information, and weāre going to continue to do that. Our medical staff has done a great job of getting Tua to this point, and his rehab is going well. And thatās what weāre going to try to help him with in the short term.ā
Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said during Wednesday's Citrus Bowl broadcast
that he believes Tagovailoa will come back for his final campaign, echoing the growing sentiment among SEC media members.
"I think itās a real possibility," McElroy said. "I really believe thatās what heās going to do. I don't know that for certain I havenāt asked him specifically. I have talked to him and asked what factors are going to weigh into the decision. He said, ālook itās all about medical. How quickly can I get out there and showcase my abilities for teams? If I canāt work out and showcase my abilities on the field, then itās going to be really tough for teams to evaluate me.ā
With Moses back and several Crimson Tide juniors still left to decide including Jerry Jeudy, Smith played it close to the vest when asked about Tagovailoa. A few days ago, Alabama's official football Twitter account tweeted a .GIF of dominoes falling after Moses' inspired post, perhaps a clue into several other draft-eligible talents returns.
Will Tagovailoa check out medically when evaluated by NFL personnel? That's the biggest question mark concerning his long-term potential given his injury history in the SEC. Prior to his devastating hip situation in November, Tagovailoa was limited at times with ongoing ankle issues. Still, his efficiency numbers were off the charts and off the field, he's one of the most likeable players nationally.
All facts, here. The wealth of riches at wideout this season for Alabama and LSU are incredible and these two quarterbacks certainly made the most of it. Burrow is the top signal caller on nearly every draft analyst's board at this point after a jaw-dropping senior season with the Tigers, highlighted by last week's seven-touchdown first half vs. Oklahoma. No player's stock has risen as much as Burrow's this season.