Since 2014, the Alabama football program has consistently won at least 11 games each season and secured three College Football Playoff national championship trophies. Leading the way for Alabama was the legendary head coach Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide have also had an abundance of star talent on both sides of the ball. Despite not winning the Heisman Trophy, left-handed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is arguably the greatest Crimson Tide football player to have adorned the crimson, gray, and white in the past decade.
The program’s holder of multiple single-season statistics, Tagovailoa was a consensus All-American, national championship winner, first-team All-SEC recipient, and Maxwell Award winner during his tenure with the Crimson Tide. However, according to former NFL safety and current SEC Network personality Roman Harper, Tagovailoa is not the first nor the second-best quarterback in the SEC since 2014, but rather the third.
Former Alabama Football QB Tua Tagovailoa: Disrespected By Longtime Program Standout

A four-year standout with the Alabama football program from 2002 to 2005, safety Roman Harper has shifted to working for the SEC Network following an incredible 11-year NFL career. However, Harper has no bias towards his alma mater, where he earned All-SEC honors twice. On Thursday, he released his top ten SEC quarterbacks since 2014, with the first Alabama signal-caller, Tua Tagovailoa, clocking in at the third spot. Instead, two LSU Tigers, the infamous rival of the Crimson Tide, finished ahead of Tagovailoa.
The Top 10 SEC QBs in the last decade according to @Harp41 from @SECNetwork
Who's too high? Who's too low? And who did they flat out miss? pic.twitter.com/4HPHtrWriW
— 104.5 ESPN (@1045espn) August 8, 2024
Tagovailoa holds the Alabama Crimson Tide record for most passing touchdowns in a career with 87. He is also in the top five in program history in terms of passing yards in a career (7,442), passing yards in a single season (3.966), and passing touchdowns in a single season (43). He also led Alabama football to two College Football Playoff title games, winning one. Previously, Harper selected LSU’s Jayden Daniels over Tagovailoa. Although Daniels has won a Heisman Trophy Award, he falls well short of Tagovailoa statistically. Meanwhile, LSU never reached the CFP with Daniels under center. Among Harper’s list, two other Alabama quarterbacks, Jalen Hurts and Bryce Young, are among the top ten SEC passers since 2014.
Tua Tagovailoa: Elite College Career

The consensus top dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 class, Tua Tagovailoa, landed with the Alabama Crimson Tide over USC, Oregon, LSU, Ole Miss, and UCLA. After playing a secondary role for much of his rookie season, head coach Nick Saban thrust Tagovailoa into action during the CFP championship game following a disastrous first half from fellow passer Jalen Hurts. Tagovailoa ignited the Alabama football offense, going 14-of-24 for 165 yards and three touchdowns against one pick. Tagovailoa hit future Heisman Trophy Award-winning wideout DeVonta Smith down the sideline for a walk-off touchdown in overtime.
Tagovailoa took over for Hurts the following season, throwing for a then-program-record 43 touchdowns. He completed 69% of his passes while rushing for five touchdowns and finishing second to Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray in Heisman voting. Tagovailoa won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award. However, after dominating Oklahoma in the first round of the CFP, Alabama, and Tagovailoa fell flat in the title game against Clemson. Tagovailoa returned in 2019, but a hip injury prematurely ended his season. He finished the year with 2,840 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, and three picks across eight starts.
For More Football News:
For More Football News and to dive into the excitement, follow me on Twitter at @alec_musa. Let’s get the conversation rolling! I’m all ears for your thoughts and insights. You can also reach out to me via email at musaalec@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest college and NFL news, click here!