Tua Tagovailoa made headlines earlier this month when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons after his release from Miami. Now, his younger brother is charting his own path back to professional football. Taulia Tagovailoa has signed with the Houston Gamblers of the United Football League, reuniting him with a familiar face in head coach Kevin Sumlin.
Taulia Tagovailoa’s College Career Paved Path to UFL
The younger Tagovailoa isn’t lacking credentials. He left Maryland as the Big Ten’s all-time leading passer with 11,256 career yards, a mark that surpassed Purdue’s Curtis Painter. His 76 career passing touchdowns, 67.1% completion rate, and 15 career 300-yard games rewrote the Maryland record book.
After a true freshman season backing up his brother at Alabama in 2019, Taulia transferred to College Park and transformed a struggling program.
He led the Terrapins to their first winning season since 2014, their first bowl appearance since 2016, and their first bowl victory since 2010, when Maryland demolished Virginia Tech 54-10 in the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl. He earned the game’s MVP honors after throwing for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
NEWS: The Houston #Gamblers are signing QB Taulia Tagovailia, per @uflanalyst & me.
Tagovailia, the former Terps signal caller, has had pro stints in the ELF & CFL.
Re-unites with Kevin Sumlin in Houston. Expecting movement out of that group soon. #UFL pic.twitter.com/8D1iPQ0Wkh
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) March 22, 2026
The production was real. So was the inconsistency that kept NFL teams at arm’s length. Despite three seasons of 3,000-plus passing yards, Taulia went undrafted in 2024. He attended minicamps with the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals but didn’t earn a roster spot.
What followed was a winding path through pro football’s minor leagues. He spent time on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats practice roster in the CFL before being released in May 2025.
A brief stint with the Hamburg Sea Devils in the European League of Football ended quickly, and he landed with the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League, making one start before the season ended.
What Playing for Kevin Sumlin Means for Tagovailoa
The Gamblers’ signing carries extra significance. Sumlin served as Maryland’s associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator during Taulia’s final college season in 2023. That shared history could accelerate Tagovailoa’s comfort level in Houston’s system as the UFL season kicks off March 27.
Sumlin’s 98-70 career record as a college head coach includes stops at Houston, Texas A&M, and Arizona. He coached Johnny Manziel to the 2012 Heisman Trophy. Getting that kind of offensive mind back in Taulia’s corner represents his best chance yet to prove he belongs at the professional level.
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Meanwhile, the Tagovailoa family isn’t short on storylines. Tua signed a one-year, $1.215 million deal with Atlanta on March 13 after Miami released him and absorbed a record $99.2 million dead cap hit.
He’ll compete with Michael Penix Jr., who is recovering from a torn ACL, for the Falcons’ starting job. The Dolphins still owe Tua $54 million in guaranteed money.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Tagovailoa finished last season as the 27th-ranked quarterback in the league with an impact score of 72.2. However, as of right now, he is in a great position to start in Week 1 for the Falcons.
