1. Tua Tagovailoa, QB
The draft hype for Tua Tagovailoa began in earnest when he uncorked the 41-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Smith to beat Georgia, completing an epic second half comeback in the national championship game 16 months ago.
He was the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft before he even started a single game. Nothing he did as the starter last season changed that perception. His accuracy to all levels of the field has NFL coaches and general managers dreaming.
Tagovailoa set the college football record for passer efficiency as a sophomore, throwing for just shy of 4000 yards with 43 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. His insertion into the starting lineup unlocked a whole new dynamic for the Alabama team, unveiling a devastating offense that overwhelmed every opponent in the regular season.
The scary part is that he spent the second half of the season rarely at full strength. He suffered a knee injury against Arkansas that bothered him for several weeks, and by the time that it was almost fully healed, he sprained his ankle in the SEC Championship Game and required surgery to fix it.
His mobility wasn’t the same after that, which affected his overall play. His ability to move around the pocket and run was a facet of his game that we didn’t see as much of as a result of the various ailments.
Tagovailoa suffered some criticism for his performances against Georgia and Clemson, and his arm strength has also been questioned at times, but no one in the country throws a better looking ball, or can fit throws into as tight of a window, as he can.
Tua’s the odds on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2019 after finishing runner up to Kyler Murray last season, as well as being the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.