clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

National Signing Day 2015: Welcome to Penn State, Garrett Taylor

One of the biggest surprises of the 2015 recruiting class was the addition of former Michigan commit Garrett Taylor.

By Bill DiFilippo

Welcome to Black Shoe Diaries' coverage of National Signing Day 2015. We're here to make sure that you know exactly who the newest Nittany Lions are, where they come from, and what we can expect of them. Each of these reports will include their vital information, their high school statistics, highlight tape analysis, outlook for their freshmen seasons and more. We sincerely hope you enjoy getting to know the stars of tomorrow. If you've been reading along with our recruiting coverage all year, we appreciate the support and are glad you hung around with us for the ride that was the 2015 recruiting class. If you are a new reader, welcome! We're glad you're here, and we hope you stick around for 2016!

To navigate your way to other members of the 2015 recruiting class, simply head back to our draft board and click on the player of your choice.

* * *

One of the biggest surprises during the 2015 recruiting cycle was the commitment of Garrett Taylor to Penn State. After being a longtime Michigan commit, Taylor left the school after the turmoil surrounding the status of head coach Brady Hoke, who was eventually fired and replaced by some guy who wears $10 Walmart pants. Despite being offered by a bunch of other great schools, Taylor decided to commit to Penn State.

Stats

Hometown: Richmond, VA

High School: St. Christopher's School

Position: Cornerback

Height/Weight: 6'1"/195

247Composite Rank: ★★★★ (0.9418)

Positional Rank: #16 Cornerback, #6 Player in Virginia

Commitment Date: November 30, 2014

High School Stats

Unfortunately, the only recorded stats on file for Taylor come from when he was a sophomore in 2012-13. Fortunately, he was pretty good in that time. He was a nice receiver, as he caught 14 balls for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also returned kicks and punts, but didn't make too big of an impact.

On defense, Taylor was great as a sophomore. He had 24 tackles (two for loss) in nine game, and hauled in four interceptions. Not bad for a sophomore.

Highlight Tape

Scouting Report

Taylor is the kind of player who jumps off of the screen when you watch him on tape. He plays all over the secondary, and is an impact plater whether he's a safety or a cornerback. As a corner, he is very good in man or zone coverage, and can press up against receivers if needed. As a safety, he shows off spectacular instincts, and his ability to read a play and react quickly is something you can't teach. He could possibly move into an Adrian Amos-type role as a hybrid player in the secondary. With the number of secondary commits Penn State has been bringing in lately, having a guy with the versatility to switch from corner to safety, and back, is a huge advantage for Bob Shoop.

Immediate Outlook

Redshirt No

Taylor seems like he's the real deal. He's so talented that he can step in from the day he gets on campus and provide something positive on the defensive side of the ball. Also helping his chances is the fact that Bob Shoop showed that he's willing to play true freshman last year, as guys like Christian Campbell, Marcus Allen and Grant Haley made an impact when they stepped into the secondary. Sure, Taylor can use some work in the weight room -- honestly, which incoming freshman doesn't? -- but he is the kind of player who can take care of business from day one.

He and John Reid together form arguably the top corner duo in the country for the 2015 recruiting class. It's not too farfetched to think that both of them could find the playing field together, in their first season on campus.

Everything Else

Welcome to Penn State, Garrett!

In This Stream

National Signing Day 2015: Penn State Edition

View all 32 stories

More From Black Shoe Diaries