Taylor looks to lead in senior season

FONTANA, Calif. - A four-year starter, Dennis Taylor Jr. finally heads into his senior season ready to be a leader after being tutored by Josh Shirley and others here at Kaiser High where Taylor has high expectations for next season.

He started as a 15-year-old and has matured as a player by watching and learning from Shirley, a UCLA signee, and Anthony Brown, who signed with Southern Cal. Now it's Taylor's team and he said he's ready for the added responsibility.

"I really need to be able to lead the defense," said Taylor, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound inside linebacker. "I'm going to be a four-year starter, four-year all league.

"I feel like this is going to be my defense next year. I have to be the one to step up, run the defense while I'm out there on the field. Be a general basically and be the captain out there.

"Experience playing with Josh and playing with Anthony Brown, the experience playing with them I feel like the team should look up to me and see me as a leader."

Playing alongside Shirley, a four-star prospect rated as the ninth-best outside linebacker in the 2010 class by Rivals.com, was invaluable to Taylor, who said Shirley "opened the door" for him and taught him how to lead a defense.

"I remember my first game I was so nervous out there but after the season started going on, I learned more from (the coaches). It became natural for me after that.

"Josh showed us what we have to do to prepare for the season. It was amazing playing next to an All-American. It was wonderful."

A big senior season for Taylor could mean a lot for Kaiser but also for his recruitment. Colorado and Vanderbilt have shown the most interest so far and Taylor said Boise State has also picked it up a little bit.

"I'm waiting to hear a little more from Boise but from what I've seen they're at the top, they're coming up," Taylor said.

Neither Colorado nor Vanderbilt have offered yet but Taylor visited the Commodores during the season when they hosted Georgia Tech. He raved about his experience in Nashville.

"I went out to Vanderbilt a couple months ago when they played Georgia Tech during football season and I liked their school," Taylor said. "It was a really nice school. (Assistant recruiting coordinator Andy) Frank is really good. It was exciting. All the fans were there. The atmosphere was so energetic and stuff. It was nice."

Interest with the Buffaloes is still preliminary but certainly steady as the off-season continues.

"Right now it's just junior days, they want me to come to a couple camps and they're sending me stuff for over the summer," Taylor said. "That's about it right now. It's still preliminary right now. I know they're in the Big 12 and I love the Big 12 so that would be a big jump."