"Tanking for Tua" is the new unofficial trademark for the 2019 Miami Dolphins, who are making their interest in Alabama's rising junior quarterback abundantly clear heading into their first season with head coach Brian Flores, a year and change out from the 2020 NFL Draft.

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, a former LSU standout who played a decade-plus in the NFL, was asked if Miami's recent signing of Ryan Fitzpatrick following Ryan Tannehill's departure meant the Dolphins were setting the stage for Tagovailoa in 2020.

"I'm a guy that hates him," Clark jokingly said during Monday's appearance on ESPN's Get Up!. "I'm just saying, I just hate him, which is the biggest compliment I can give anybody that plays for Alabama and coach (Nick) Saban. LSU's stadium, Death Valley Tiger Stadium, has never been louder than when they thought Tua was hurt and wasn't going to play anymore. He is that impactful.

"When he came back in the game, he was the best player on the field amongst many NFL stars. So, Tua Tagovailoa is that deal and if you can get him you want him, but it's not like the Zion (Williamson) thing where people are trying to (tank) for Zion."

Nursing an injured ankle suffered earlier in the game, Tagovailoa was terrific in last season's win in Baton Rouge, accounting for 344 yards of total offense and three touchdowns during Alabama's 29-0 victory. His 44-yard touchdown run was a career-long late in the third quarter and detonated any hopes of LSU unseating the top-ranked Crimson Tide at the top of the SEC West.

The Heisman runner-up who finished with 39 touchdown passes as a sophomore and nearly 4,000 yards through the air is widely-considered the top quarterback prospect for 2020, if he chooses to skip his senior season at Alabama and leaves early. He's up against Oregon's Justin Herbert and Georgia's Jake Fromm in what's expected to be a more talented quarterback draft class than the current group set to hear their names called next month in Nashville.

In need of immediate help at other positions in the starting lineup, Miami isn't expected to select a quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft after signing Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins' front office is reportedly enamored with possibly landing Tagovailoa next year.

"I never want to say a team is tanking," Clark said. "You never want to say a team of NFL players, professionals, are leaning toward trying to get the No. 1 pick. But when you look at this roster of quarterbacks ... we've seen Ryan Fitzpatrick be magical at times, but we also know what the other side of that coin looks like. To me, if you're coach Flores, you have to be wondering what the executives are doing giving you this quarterback roster."