What's the Plan for Taulia this year?

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
35,306
31,375
187
South Alabama
I've been reluctant to respond in this thread as a Thompson fan, but I'd like to respectfully "pump the brakes" on the statement above.

The state championship game with Central-Phenix City was on the heels of a wet, wild, rainy battle with Hoover, in which Lia was injured. Frankly, the whole team got beat up in that game, essentially a de facto state championship; there is a cost in beating a team like Hoover. It's a lot like what happens to teams after they play Bama.

Say what you will about whether he is/will be a generational QB for Bama, but he was for THS, and he had to have a go in the championship game, even with an injury. He was unable to finish the game. C-PC didn't "destroy" him. THS couldn't score, got behind, and had to eventually go with backup QB Sawyer Pate.

FYI, the Pate-led THS Warriors are now the #1 team in the state in 7A, after a game last week that saw Hoover's QB Robby Ashford, an Ole Miss commit, go down with injury in the 4th qtr of a tight game. We didn't "destroy" Hoover either. Losing an elite starting QB, even for the best HS teams like Thompson and Hoover, is too much to overcome.

Lia will be great at Bama, or wherever he plays (but like many, I believe for many reasons including family that he will stay here). Anyone using the state championship game last year as a reason to "go quiet" on his upside, or as a barometer of his ability, without accounting for what he did throughout his historic career at Thompson, is missing some data.
And how does any of this address the insane amount of folks who for 2 years were talking him up as better or on par with Tua suddenly going quite after Central destroyed his team?
 

JamieSPC

1st Team
Aug 29, 2004
785
172
67
Maylene, AL
Wasn't his shoulder hurt for that game?
I was a minute ahead of you, Con. :)

I hate the "Colt got hurt" thing and as a Thompson fan I've been reluctant, but it is what it is. We tried to play him. Those shocked with the result of that game probably didn't pay much attention to the fact that he didn't even play most of the second half. Those of us there at Jordan-Hare remember it all too well... :(
 

JamieSPC

1st Team
Aug 29, 2004
785
172
67
Maylene, AL
And how does any of this address the insane amount of folks who for 2 years were talking him up as better or on par with Tua suddenly going quite after Central destroyed his team?

I don't have the same perception you do, or the same experience, so I can't really comment on it beyond what I've already posted. I watched him play literally every single down of his career at Thompson. I didn't go "quite" and can't wait to see him play college ball.

He's an elite talent, whether he is as good as his brother or not. I worry about him as a person because it's conceivable that NO ONE will ever be "as good as Tua," at Bama or elsewhere. And it's likely no one will suffer under the weight of those expectations more than Lia will.
 
Last edited:

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
35,306
31,375
187
South Alabama
I don't have the same perception you do, or the same experience, so I can't really comment on it beyond what I've already posted. I watched him play literally every single down of his career at Thompson. I didn't go "quite" and can't wait to see him play college ball.
Let’s try this again with it broken down a little better.

#1 I’ve never hyped up Lia at all and never accused anyone specifically of doing it on this board.

#2 one of my side jobs deals with the AHSAA, and many many folks have been saying he was as good or better than Tua.

#3 I’ve seen Lia multiple times and seen him as the Clear best QB in the state, but he isn’t Tua, and certainly isn’t better than Tua

#4 Anyone who thought anyone besides McGill Toolin had a chance vs CPC hasn’t paid attention to CPC for the last 4 years or are just wishful fans. Had it not been for McGill then Central would’ve had 3 of 4.

#5 I’m not basing my opinion on Lia on the CPC game . I fully expected CPC to win vs Hoover or Thompson by 3 Tds even before Lia’s injury. They were that good.

#6 I think Lia will be a good college qb, but it will take more time for him to develop than Tua

#7 My overall point was that there were many in this state credible and side walk fans believing he was better than or equal to Tua, but the vast majority of those people went quiet after the CPC game and even more went quiet after Mac won the #2 job
 

RollTide_HTTR

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2017
8,772
6,537
187
#7 My overall point was that there were many in this state credible and side walk fans believing he was better than or equal to Tua, but the vast majority of those people went quiet after the CPC game and even more went quiet after Mac won the #2 job
I feel like that is our biggest definitive clue that Taulia is no Tua.

Well, that and watching them play
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,932
15,935
282
Boone, NC
I feel like that is our biggest definitive clue that Taulia is no Tua.

Well, that and watching them play
Watching them play in HS or college?

Lia and Tyson have probably just got a limited number of snaps compared to Tua and Jones. I suspect that unless Lia makes up the "gap" between him and MJ he won't get much work at all now that we are out of fall camp and into the season of having game week prep.

I suspect we really won't know where Lia or Tyson stands until they go thru next spring against Jones.
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
12,232
6,263
187
Inverness, AL
Lia isn’t even close to being as good as Tua. Sure he does somethings better than Tua, but as a whole he isn’t. It’s like comparing Peyton and Eli. Both are good but there is wide gap in how good they are.


For those expecting or saying Lia is better than or equal to Tua are probably going to be disappointed. Tua is a generational qb, Lia isn’t.

That is not to say Lia won’t be a great starter. It is more to pump the brakes on this non stop comparison that has been going on for 3 years now. I personally think when Lia gets use to the college game then he will be good, but not Tua good.
Agreed. Tua has spoiled us forever. We are seeing something now we can only hope we will see again at some point. Not fair to compare Lia to him but I also agree he will develop into a good college QB given time.
 

RollTide_HTTR

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2017
8,772
6,537
187
Watching them play in HS or college?

Lia and Tyson have probably just got a limited number of snaps compared to Tua and Jones. I suspect that unless Lia makes up the "gap" between him and MJ he won't get much work at all now that we are out of fall camp and into the season of having game week prep.

I suspect we really won't know where Lia or Tyson stands until they go thru next spring against Jones.
HS and A-day is all we have seen so far so that's all we can take into account. And from that Taulia doesn't look like he is where Tua was as a true freshman. And Tyson looked like he was nowhere near ready.

I don't anticipate Tyson playing a competitive snap at Alabama.

I agree we won't know where they are until spring partially because we have no idea how quickly they will develop.
 

4Q Basket Case

FB|BB Moderator
Staff member
Nov 8, 2004
9,569
12,865
237
Tuscaloosa
I don't see a scenario where Tua stays. Even if he got hurt sometimes this year and couldn't finish the season I think he'd still get drafted...just not as high.

I just don't know how another year at Bama would improve his draft status.
Agreed on all fronts. No realistic scenario where Tua is on the team after this season. And if I were blessed with his talent, I would make the same decision.
 

JamieSPC

1st Team
Aug 29, 2004
785
172
67
Maylene, AL
Let’s try this again with it broken down a little better.

#1 I’ve never hyped up Lia at all and never accused anyone specifically of doing it on this board.

#2 one of my side jobs deals with the AHSAA, and many many folks have been saying he was as good or better than Tua.

#3 I’ve seen Lia multiple times and seen him as the Clear best QB in the state, but he isn’t Tua, and certainly isn’t better than Tua

#4 Anyone who thought anyone besides McGill Toolin had a chance vs CPC hasn’t paid attention to CPC for the last 4 years or are just wishful fans. Had it not been for McGill then Central would’ve had 3 of 4.

#5 I’m not basing my opinion on Lia on the CPC game . I fully expected CPC to win vs Hoover or Thompson by 3 Tds even before Lia’s injury. They were that good.

#6 I think Lia will be a good college qb, but it will take more time for him to develop than Tua

#7 My overall point was that there were many in this state credible and side walk fans believing he was better than or equal to Tua, but the vast majority of those people went quiet after the CPC game and even more went quiet after Mac won the #2 job
That’s as solid a breakdown of the situation as I’ve seen, and thanks for clarifying. It’s impossible for me to separate the personal feelings because I love the kid, but I’ve also seen him do things that I’ve never seen another HS QB do. That said, if the hype dies down, that’s probably good. The comparisons to Big Bro are inevitable but are not constructive.

I believed we could beat Central, but not without Lia, which is where we found ourselves. “Wishful fan,” here, guilty. The way things are going, maybe we will get another shot this year...
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
35,306
31,375
187
South Alabama
I believed we could beat Central, but not without Lia, which is where we found ourselves. “Wishful fan,” here, guilty. The way things are going, maybe we will get another shot this year...
Its not a knock. I remember in the late Stallings era to the Shula era believing Alabama could beat a lot of teams they had no business beating.

Whether or not Lia being hurt or not may or may not have changed the overall outcome (CPC winning) is debatable. I do think it would've been closer if he wasn't injured, but seeing CPC a few times and seeing Thompson, Hoover, and Hewitt a couple of times last year still makes me say its more like a 2-3 score win.

As for this year, its really too early, but a rematch is a good possibility if Central can get past Auburn, Prattville, and LEE and Thompson can get past Hoover in the playoffs.
 

BamaJama17

Hall of Fame
Sep 17, 2006
16,365
8
47
34
Hoover, AL
Mac Jones May very well be ahead right now simply because he has been in college longer. However by next year Taulia will have a year under his belt and may surpass Mac. IDK who really had the better upside because they were rated as four star recruits. It will be an interesting battle next year because Tua, barring an injury, is almost certainly going to the NFL.
 

Ledsteplin

Hall of Fame
Nov 20, 2013
5,508
5,184
187
71
Florence, Alabama
Mac Jones May very well be ahead right now simply because he has been in college longer. However by next year Taulia will have a year under his belt and may surpass Mac. IDK who really had the better upside because they were rated as four star recruits. It will be an interesting battle next year because Tua, barring an injury, is almost certainly going to the NFL.
He may not surpass Mac. Mac has played well this year. And he'll get better as the season progresses.
 

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.