Alabama Football: Tua finally looks like his old self

Tua finally looks like how he did as a sophomore for Alabama football.

For years, Alabama football failed to develop a star quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa changed that narrative as soon as he played meaningful snaps. However, injuries plagued his career with the Crimson Tide. Even when he was healthy, he looked like a different quarterback. Now with the Miami Dolphins, Tua finally looks like the athlete that he used to be.

Before Tua had his first injury, he was truly a dual-threat quarterback. His pocket presence was elite, and he knew exactly what to do with the ball. He could scramble to buy time while keeping his eyes downfield. Whether he had to tuck and run or throw the ball, he made the right decision.

While Tua still did these things in the latter portion of his Alabama football career, he was not as efficient as he was before his injuries. He just always looked like he was hurt. Whether it was from his knee injury or any of his ankle injuries, he just looked like his game was adapting to be more of a pocket quarterback.

With almost a year to heal from his hip injury, Tua is finally back to playing as he did when he was a sophomore. What specifically is he doing for the Miami Dolphins? For starters, he is moving around the pocket as a passer. He is buying enough time to go through his progressions. With a weak offensive line, this is vital.

Tua also has been scrambling. Against the Arizona Cardinals, Tua ran for multiple key first downs. He was also attacking as a runner. He dove for more yardage and welcomed big hits. After getting tackled, he immediately jumped back up. These are tiny details, but it shows great progress for the former Alabama football quarterback.

In this video, you can see some of Tua’s best throws and runs. He looks better than he did before all of his injuries. This is great news for both the Miami Dolphins and Alabama football fans.

Tua made plays that reminded me of what he did against Georgia in the national championship. Most importantly, he carried the offense to victory in a game that they were predicted to lose. He is off to a great start, and he will continue to lead the Dolphins as a rookie. His future is bright. If he can play like he used to, Miami could easily make the NFL Playoffs.