Taylor tackles 20-plus offers
Question: Name the Texas prospect that has more than 20 scholarship offers, but has never had a story written about him on Rivals.com? Answer: Mansfield, Texas, strongside defensive end Adrian Taylor.
Taylor, who is 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, has for some reason been a well-kept secret when it comes to recruiting coverage, but college coaches from all over the nation are very aware of him.
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Taylor, who said he has run as low as a 4.79-second time in the 40-yard dash, couldn't remember all 20 of his scholarship offers, but was able to recall teams like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Duke, UTEP, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Arkansas and Texas A&M.
"I didn't expect all of the attention," Taylor said. "Indiana was the first to offer a while back and then in May it was crazy. People kept calling and coming up to school to see me. I couldn't believe all the people that were offering me a scholarship."
Taylor earned all-district honors as a junior, plus he was an all-district pick in basketball and he qualified for regional track in the shot put. It's that type of athletic ability that has caught the eye of coaches.
"My biggest thing is that I penetrate and run to the ball," Taylor said. "People hear I run really fast and they don't think it's possible for a big guy like me. I go out there and show them on the field. They change their mind, then."
Taylor, who goes by A-Train to his friends, said he's taking the recruiting process slowly, but he is currently on an unofficial visit to Oklahoma to visit with the Sooner defensive staff.
"I'm just going to check out the coaches and the school," he said. "Oklahoma was one of my favorites and they offered me early on. Coach (Cale) Gundy told me they really wanted me to meet with the defensive coaches, so I'm going to do that and also meet with coach (Bob) Stoops."
Even though he's talented in other sports, football is his true love.
"I love football because you get to be with your friends and you can dish out some pain," Taylor said. "I love how you can hit people and not get punished.
"I've always been a good football player, but when I hit the eighth grade, I just started to grow and grow."
And now he's blown up to become one of the hottest recruits in the Lone Star State without tons of press clippings.
"I was starting to wonder if Rivals knew about me," Taylor said. "I'm glad you found me like the college coaches did."