Alabama has become a factory for elite NFL talent in recent years, and now there may finally be a Crimson Tide quarterback capable of following in the footsteps of Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler.
Nick Saban's teams have produced multiple first-round picks in each of the previous three years, though it has been 44 years since an Alabama quarterback, in that instance the New York Jets' Richard Todd, was chosen in the opening round.
That will almost certainly change in 2020 thanks to one Tua Tagovailoa, who is perhaps the most intriguing prospect of this class.
But how did the left-armed thrower from Hawaii get here? On the eve of the 2020 NFL Draft, we take a look at the key moments in Tagovailoa's career.
Tua T, to a T... pic.twitter.com/Td1YYS8pMI
— Tua. T (@Tuaamann) April 6, 2020
May 2016 - Committing to 'Bama
Tagovailoa went to the same high school as Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and was mentored by the 2015 first-rounder.
He was considered a four-star recruit in 2016 and had offers from USC, UCLA and Washington.
However, the man ranked the fifth-best quarterback in the nation decided to head for Saban's Alabama.
January 2018 - A star is born
In his true freshman season, Tagovailoa was the backup to Jalen Hurts but saw playing time in blowouts as Alabama steamrollered opponents during the 2017 season.
There was a potential blowout on the cards on January 8 – though Saban's side were not the ones dishing out the punishment when down 13-0 to Georgia in the National Championship.
Saban made a half-time switch, hooking Hurts for his true freshman, and it worked. Tagovailoa responded by leading Alabama to college football's biggest prize, throwing three touchdowns in a 26-23 overtime win.
days. @Tuaamann #NFLDraft #RollTide
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) April 20, 2020
pic.twitter.com/mRu8Wyy89n
September 2018 - The undisputed starter
A quarterback controversy brewed all offseason - would Hurts keep his spot after going 26-2 over the past two seasons or would Tagovailoa be given the reins?
In the season-opening game against Louisville, Tagovailoa got the start and went 12-of-16 for 227 yards and two touchdowns, adding another score on the ground.
Two days later Saban announced Tagovailoa was his starter moving forward.
January 2019 - Mauled by the tigers
Tagovailoa produced a sensational sophomore campaign, throwing for 3,966 yards, 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 15 games.
He was second in the Heisman Trophy voting – behind Oklahoma's Kyler Murray – and his passer rating of 199.4 broke Baker Mayfield's college football record.
— Tua. T (@Tuaamann) January 1, 2019
However, he was unable to end it with a second National Championship as Clemson routed Alabama 44-16 in the battle of the unbeaten teams in Santa Clara.
Moreover, Tagovailoa threw two crucial interceptions in the first half – one a pick six – and was overshadowed by the brilliant freshman Trevor Lawrence.
November 2019 - The dislocated hip
The Alabama quarterback's junior season was ended abruptly on a play against Mississippi State as two defenders landed on him, driving his knee into the ground and causing his hip to dislocate and fracturing his posterior wall.
Five months before the 2020 NFL Draft, the man many considered the best prospect in the class faced a long period of rehabilitation.
Throw in two high ankle sprains and a recent sprained knee and the 'injury-prone' tag was firmly applied.
January 2020 - Declaring for the NFL Draft
The way that junior season ended caused Tagovailoa to mull over the possibility of returning to Tuscaloosa for a senior campaign.
However, in January 2020 he made his decision – the lure of the NFL was too strong. Come April, one of the best college quarterbacks in recent years would become an NFL player.
Who has been convinced Tua is the saviour of their franchise? Who is so worried by the injury concerns that they are willing to pass on him? We'll soon find out.