Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins is getting the most press lately among former Hawaii high school football stars.
But he is just one of two starting QBs in the NFL from Hawaii. The other, Marcus Mariota, catapulted to the starting role for the Las Vegas Raiders after Derek Carr’s injury.
As a matter of fact, the two former Saint Louis School quarterbacks will be going against each other when the Dolphins (8-5) and Raiders (7-7) play on Dec. 26. That Saturday game will be broadcast live on ABC (KITV-4) at 3:15 p.m. Both teams are fighting to get into the playoffs.
Two other former Saint Louis quarterbacks — the University of Hawaii’s Chevan Cordeiro and Washington State true freshman Jayden de Laura — are among the many others from Hawaii who are making big splashes on offense in college.
The others are Virginia running back Wayne Taulapapa (Punaohou), USC running back Vavae Malepeai (Mililani), UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel (Mililani) and Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (Kapolei).
Stats on all eight of the players above will follow below the story.
Taulapapa recently completed his junior year with the Cavaliers, who went 5-5 and won’t be going to a bowl game.
Malepeai, a senior, sprained a knee ligament in his last game and is probably out for the Trojans (5-0) today against Oregon (3-2) in the Pac-12 championship game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He may be back for a bowl game that is more than likely coming USC’s way.
De Laura’s extra-short regular season for the Cougars (1-2) under former Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich is likely winding up Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Utah (2-2). Rolovich told reporters on Wednesday that Washington State probably won’t accept a bowl bid if invited.
A sophomore, Cordeiro led the Rainbow Warriors to a 4-4 regular season mark, and the UH season will continue in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 24 against Houston (3-4). Due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico, that game will be played in Frisco, Texas, 400 miles from the New Mexico border, instead of its usual home in Albuquerque.
Gabriel, who is a sophomore, and the Golden Knights (6-3) meet No. 17 BYU (10-1) in the Boca Raton Bowl in Florida on Tuesday.
According to the Washington Post, sophomore Taulia Tagovailoa was one of four key Terrapins players who did not play in last weekend’s 27-24 overtime loss to Rutgers for medical reasons. The Post asked coach Michael Locksley if the four players tested positive for COVID-19 and he did not comment.
However, things got a bit worse for the Maryland football team this week, when 15 players tested positive for COVID-19, according to multiple media reports, canceling the team’s regular season finale against Michigan State.
It is possible Maryland (2-3) will play in a bowl game.
Here are the stats for the eight Hawaii players mentioned above.
NFL
MIAMI DOLPHINS
#1 Tua Tagovailoa, QB (6-0, 217 pounds)
2020 season (first-year pro)
Games: 7
Attempts: 184
Completions: 114
Completion percentage: 62%
Yards: 1,214
Touchdowns: 9
Interceptions: 1
High school: Saint Louis School Class of 2017
College: Alabama
Tua Tagovailoa is working hard in an effort to get Miami into the playoffs.
(From DolphinNation.com).
—————————-
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
#8 Marcus Mariota, QB (6-4, 223 pounds)
2020 season (sixth-year pro)
Games: 1
Attempts: 28
Completions: 17
Completion percentage: 60.7%
Yards: 226
Touchdowns: 1
Interceptions: 1
Career
Games: 64
Attempts: 1,793
Completions: 1,127
Completion percentage: 62.9%
Yards: 13,433
Touchdowns: 77
Interceptions: 45
High school: Saint Louis School Class of 2011
College: Oregon
Marcus Mariota threw for 226 yards,
coming off the bench for Derek Carr
in Las Vegas’ 30-27 overtime loss to
the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday.
(Photo from NFL.com).
COLLEGE
UCF GOLDEN KNIGHTS
#11 Dillon Gabriel, QB, Sophomore (6-0, 186 pounds)
2020 season
Attempts: 368
Completions: 227
Completion percentage: 61.7
Yards: 3,353
Touchdowns: 30
Interceptions: 4
Career
Attempts: 766
Completions: 463
Completion percentage: 60.4
Yards: 7,006
Touchdowns: 59
Interceptions: 11
High school: Mililani Class of 2019
Dillon Gabriel and UCF are going to a bowl game. (From UCFKnights.com).
—————————-
HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS
#12 Chevan Cordeiro, QB, Sophomore (6-1, 190 pounds)
2020 season
Attempts: 290
Completions: 180
Completion percentage: 62.1
Yards: 1,917
Touchdowns: 11
Interceptions: 6
Career
Attempts: 459
Completions: 278
Completion percentage: 60.8
Yards: 3,238
Touchdowns:n 25
Interceptions: 11
High school: Saint Louis School Class of 2018
Chevan Cordeiro will try tohelp
the Rainbow Warriors get above .500
with a win in the New Mexico Bowl.
(From Facebook).
—————————-
WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
#14 Jayden de Laura, QB, Freshman (6-0, 195 pounds)
2020 season
Attempts: 101
Completions: 61
Completion percentage: 60.4
Yards: 682
Touchdowns: 4
Interceptions: 3
High school: Saint Louis School Class of 2020
Jayden de Laura’s final game as a Washington State freshman
is likely to be today against Utah. (From 247Sports.com).
—————————-
MARYLAND TERRAPINS
#3 Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Sophomore (5-11, 207 pounds)
2020 season
Attempts: 122
Completions: 75
Completion percentage: 61.5
Yards: 1,011
Touchdowns: 7
Interceptions: 7
Career
Attempts: 134
Completions: 84
Completion percentage: 62.7
Yards: 1,111
Touchdowns: 8
Interceptions: 7
High school: Kapolei (2015, ’16 as underclassman)
Maryland’s regular season finale against Michigan State, scheduled
for Saturday, has been canceled because 15 Terrapins players
tested positive for COVID-19. Starting QB Taulia Tagovailoa, above,
and his Maryland teammates may get to play in a bowl game.
(From UMTerps.com).
—————————-
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
#21 Wayne Taulapapa, RB, Junior (5-9, 210 pounds)
2020 season
Carries: 88
Rushing yards: 395
Rushing yards per carry: 4.5
Rushing touchdowns: 5
Receptions: 12
Receiving yards: 65
Receiving touchdowns: 0
Career
Carries: 204
Rushing yards: 868
Rushing yards per carry: 4.3
Rushing touchdowns: 17
Receptions: 17
Receiving yards: 88
Receiving touchdowns: 0
High School: Punahou Class of 2016
Wayne Taulapapa has 868 rushing yards
in his Virginia career. (From Twitter).
—————————-
USC TROJANS
#29 VAVAE MALEPEAI, RB, Senior (6-0, 220 pounds)
Vavae Malepeai has 1,503 rushing ayrds and 227 receiving
yards in his USC career so far. (From USC Trojans.com).
2020 season
Carries: 54
Rushing yards: 238
Rushing yards per carry: 4.4
Rushing touchdowns: 3
Receptions: 16
Receiving yards: 64
Receiving touchdowns: 0
Career
Carries: 301
Rushing yards: 1,503
Rushing yards per carry: 5.0
Rushing touchdowns: 17
Receptions: 49
Receiving yards: 227
Receiving touchdowns: 1
High school: 2016
