R100 DB Taylor names top five
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Rivals100 defensive back Garrett Taylor has been working on an accelerated timetable throughout his recruitment. After he visited Michigan State and Michigan last weekend, the standout from Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher's has decided to name a top five.
"My top five schools are Stanford, Michigan, Tennessee, Michigan State and South Carolina," said the 6-foot-1, 188-pound Taylor. "I would say the top two are interchangeable between Michigan and Stanford. Then next would be Tennessee and then Michigan State and South Carolina. It's sort of a three-tiered system.
"These visits helped speed things up," he said. "They helped reassure me that Michigan State and Michigan would be in my top five. I've already been out to Tennessee and Stanford. I should be able to make my decision pretty soon. I don't know a date yet but I've been everywhere I need to go. I'm sitting down with my coach on Tuesday to figure out when I will make my decision and sort some other things out."
Taylor broke down where all five schools currently stand with him and what he did on his visits to Michigan State and Michigan.
Stanford: "Stanford definitely fits the mold as a school that offers great academics and football at the highest level," Taylor said. "That's something my family and I are very attracted to. It was great when I went out there for a visit. I know some coaches have left but the school kind of overrides that. I know they just hired coach Akina from Texas and he's always done a great job with defensive backs. We've talked a few times in the past. There is definitely a little bit of the Richard Sherman factor there. Everybody was watching him this past season. It's pretty cool that Stanford can produce NFL level defensive backs like that."
Michigan: "I visited Michigan on Friday and Saturday," he said. "On Friday we got the tour of the football building. I think they call it Schembechler Hall and that was pretty cool. We got to see the whole indoor field. It's great that they have that with all the weather they get up there. We also saw the weight room and locker room. After that we went over to the academic center and learned about their academic support. They have tutors and mentors for the players to make sure they stay on track. We also went over to the school of business. It was pretty cool that the professor took the time out of his day to give us a tour and answer all of our questions.
"We went to see the stadium and met with some coaches," said Taylor. "I sat down with coach Manning who is my favorite recruiter. He is also my recruiting coach and position coach. We talked about Michigan and how they are changing their defense to play more cover 3 and man so they can be more aggressive. He said they are looking for long, very physical corners, which is good to hear. We also met with coach Mattison and had the same sort of conversation. He definitely impressed my parents with the way he answered my mom's questions. We talked with coach Nussmeier and some of the other coaches. That was probably the best visit we've gone on so far in terms of academics and football. They really put their best foot forward and my parents came away really impressed."
Tennessee: "I visited Tennessee for the first time during my freshman year for a camp and I've been down there a couple times since," he said. "It's definitely a school that sticks out to us. They play in the SEC, the best football conference in the nation. I feel like I could come in there and compete early for playing time. I really feel like the coaching staff wants me there. Coach Butch Jones stopped by our school a few weeks ago. I know my parents liked Tennessee when we went down there."
Michigan State: We visited Michigan State on Thursday," Taylor said. "The first thing we did was tour all the facilities. I saw the weight room, the team meeting rooms, the stadium and the whole campus tour. I met with my coach Burton, my recruiting coach, for a while. I talked to coach Barnett, the defensive backs coach, for a little bit too. I met with coach Dantonio for a while also. They told me some pretty good things. They play a lot of man-to-man defense. Coach Dantonio sees me as a boundary safety. I do want to play corner but I don't really have a problem with playing safety.
"The visit definitely stacked up well against the others," he said. "They have the full package, academics and football. The academics may not be as high as some of the other schools but the football is very good, especially considering what they did this past year. My parents were impressed and so was I."
South Carolina: "South Carolina is a school that will be competing for national championship over the next couple years," said Taylor. "I think they finished fourth in the final poll from last year. They've been having some great recruiting classes. Coach Spurrier is a great coach and I could see myself playing for him. The school isn't too far away from home and I know my mom liked that. Coach Adams and I have a really good relationship. It's a SEC school and you can't substitute anything for that no matter where you go. It's the nation's top competition week in and week out when you play in the SEC."
Garrett, currently ranked No. 41 in the Rivals100, has offers from schools like Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, Penn State and many others.
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