The first Tua Tagovailoa vs. Jake Fromm matchup wasn't for the College Football Playoff National Championship, it was for a spot on Alabama's 2017 recruiting class.
"We were recruiting [Tagovailoa and Fromm] at the same time, and it was one of those where we had a good relationship with Tua," said Lane Kiffin, who was Alabama's offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016.
That connection took time to develop, though, and Fromm would be the first to commit to the Crimson Tide. Ranked No. 132 in the ESPN 300, Fromm picked the Tide in October of 2015.