Roc

Taylor

Like other receivers in this year’s class, Taylor has the size (6’2/213), speed (4.49 40-time), and athleticism (7.23 RAS) to look the part, but the tape shows a player who still has plenty of work to do. Boasting a respectable 56.1 percent contested catch rate, Taylor also struggles with drops (7.4 percent drop rate) and has shown a tendency to get bottled up in press coverage. He put together a productive receiving line over his final two seasons, catching 135 passes for 2,033 yards and six touchdowns, and averaged an impressive 7.5 YAC/REC in 2023. As a player who spent most of his career playing on the outside (96.1 percent of snaps out wide, per PFF), how Taylor responds to the press in the pros will likely determine his fate as a player. His ability to win contested catches will need to be on full display if separation continues to be an issue.

Taylor made the pledge to the Volunteers over schools like Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia Tech and Memphis. He’s considered a “hybrid” player; one who could play near the line-of-scrimmage as a tight end or out wide as a more traditional receiver. The good folks at 247Sports rank him as the former, and place him 17th among the tight ends in the 2021 class. Taylor gives the Vols 10 known commits to their class so far, and 247Sports ranks Tennessee’s group third among SEC schools; 12th overall.