What Leonard Taylor means for UM recruiting, the future of the defense and Savion Collins
Leonard Taylor rattled off a list of reasons he decided to pick the Miami Hurricanes after he announced his commitment last Thursday on CBSSports.com. He talked about the importance of being near family. He mentioned how exciting it was to see Miami recruiting South Florida well. The five-star defensive tackle, of course, liked the idea of potentially getting early playing time.
The ultimate selling point, though, might have been Todd Stroud.
“LT is a relationship guy. He is a guy that needs to trust you and I think Coach Stroud’s just such a good man, No. 1, but I think he’s been able to get through to LT what kind of person he really is and that’s important to LT,” said Mike Manasco, who coaches Taylor at Miami Palmetto. “He is a good kid, man. He’s a kid that does right and wants to continue to improve.”
The defensive line coach proved last year he can turn athleticism into production. Now Taylor, the No. 27 overall player in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2021, is banking on Stroud doing the same thing for him.
It has been a week since Taylor decided to scorn the Florida Gators and stay home with the Hurricanes. The recruiting cycle has already been a massive success for Miami, and Taylor’s commitment is another potentially landscape-altering decision for the Hurricanes in the way it could affect local recruiting, the future of Miami’s defense and the Hurricanes’ efforts to hang on to four-star defensive tackle Savion Collins
Here’s what it means...
...for recruiting
Taylor’s commitment temporarily boosted Miami to No. 8 in the team recruiting rankings for the 2021 class. While his pledge didn’t seal up the rest of the so-called “Palmetto Five,” it still has the Hurricanes poised for a strong finish.
In the week since Taylor picked Miami, five-star cornerback Jason Marshall and four-star safety Corey Collier both committed to the Gators, meaning the Hurricanes so far have gone 3 for 5 with the Panthers’ coveted quintet. Miami’s primary focus for the rest of the cycle will probably be on the secondary and quarterback, and Taylor’s commitment means the Hurricanes can feel good about their defensive line haul.
Taylor and Collins give Miami a perfectly complementary duo of defensive tackles, and Jabari Ishmael and Thomas Davis have the Hurricanes set at defensive end. With four more spots available in the class, Miami can focus in elsewhere.
Taylor also took notice of how well Miami has recruited South Florida in this cycle. Even though his commitment couldn’t seal up the rest of his teammates, it’ll only help the Hurricanes’ reputation locally
“They’re recruiting a lot of players from down south, so why not just play here?” Taylor said. “Put on for my own city.”
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....for the defense
There’s a reason Miami wasn’t too concerned when star defensive end Gregory Rousseau decided to opt out of the 2020 season Thursday. Defensive line — and particularly defensive end — is the Hurricanes’ deepest position and three consecutive defensive line coaches have now proven they can develop talent.
None of the three had anyone quite like Taylor, though.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive lineman is the No. 4 overall prospect in 247Sports’ rankings — higher ranked even than five-star athlete James Williams. Assuming both Taylor and Williams sign with Miami as five-star prospects, the Hurricanes will have multiple five-stars on defense in the same class for the first time since 2008.
As good as Williams is, the senior’s long-term projection is a bit of a question mark because of his positional flexibility. Taylor is one of the top-ranked defensive tackles ever to commit to Miami, and he could be counted on to contribute immediately, especially with defensive lineman Jonathan Ford entering his senior season.
Taylor’s athletic ability could make him the same sort of interior rush threat former defensive tackle Gerald Willis was in Coral Gables.
“We’re very technically sound on defense and sometimes when LT’s wrong, he’s right and it took him a little while — especially my D-line coach did — to realize, Hey, man, he may be doing that a little bit different than we’re teaching it, but he’s making it right at the end,” Manasco said. “Any time that I can get him going vertically whether it’s a twist or a stunt, or just line him up as a three-tech and just tell him to blow up the B gap, he’s just very advanced at that.”
...for Savion Collins
Taylor and Collins have been friends since they were young, even before they were teammates. Collins, however, was never a football player until he got to Miami Southwest and finally gave the sport a shot as a freshman.
He was impressive there, eventually landing an offer from the Hurricanes before his sophomore season began. He committed to Miami later in 2018 and has stuck by his pledge ever since, even as the Gators have tried to pry him out of his hometown.
At Palmetto, Collins took another leap. He transferred there ahead of his junior season, and Manasco said he was the team’s most improved player throughout the season.
“He may have been the No. 1 nose guard in the country after the spring,” Manasco said. “That’s how much he improved. ... LT sees that and it just makes him want to go even harder.”
His relationship with Taylor was an important part of his progress. Although they’re very different players, Taylor can still serve as an additional developmental coach for Collins, who remains relatively new to the sport.
While the Gators continue to pursue Collins and even landed commitments from two of his other teammates in the last week, it’s no coincidence he and Taylor are committed to the same place.
“There’s a reason Savion hasn’t decommitted and there’s a reason LT committed,” Manasco said. “It just goes to show the job Miami’s done with recruiting.”
