The LSU Tigers dipped into the prodigious Texas talent pool on Thursday evening, securing a commitment from Katy (TX) running back Adam Taylor, who took to Twitter to make his commitment known:
LSU Recruiting 2013: Adam Taylor Commits to Tigers
LSU adds a Texas running back with size, speed and vision to the 2013 recruiting class.
My dreams are coming to reality slowly every day just committed to LSU #GeauxTigers
— adam taylor (@adam_taylor28) May 4, 2012
A 6-2, 200-pound running back from the high school football powerhouse located just west of Houston on I-10, Taylor boasted 12 offers from major programs around the country, including Alabama, Arkansas, Stanford, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin, despite sustaining a season-ending knee injury in his high school season opener last fall.
Well back on the trail to recovery, Taylor is a four-star prospect by Rivals and Scout, while 247Sports rated him at three stars. As the 10th commitment in the 2013 LSU recruiting class, Taylor is the first Texas prospect to give his verbal pledge to Les Miles.
One of the fastest backs in the 2013 class in the Lone Star State, Taylor can run away from defensive backs at the highest levels of Texas high school football and is accomplished enough out of the backfield based on his work in 7-on-7 during the summer to project favorably as a wide receiver.
While Taylor does have the feet and change-of-direction ability to remain at running back, the question is whether the combination of his height and upright running style will make him more susceptible to injuries in the brutal SEC. At the high school level, he can break some arm tackles, but doesn’t break as many as one might expect from someone with his combination of speed and mass, a reality directly attributable to his often poor pad level. Taylor could also stand to develop greater leg drive at the end of runs to pick up that hidden yardage that defines the most physical backs.
Other than his near-elite top-end speed, the attribute that keeps Taylor from being classified as an athlete is his vision. Most high school running backs with his speed constantly look to turn runs outside, even when there’s little available real estate there. Taylor, however, shows the ability to work through the middle of the field, set up and turn defenders in the open field, all while staying north-south to turn those runs of intermediate lengths into potentially game-changing plays.
Despite the high pads Taylor presents to defenders, that combination of speed and vision should help keep Taylor toting the rock when he gets to Baton Rouge.
For more on Tigers football, visit LSU blog And The Valley Shook, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.
Adam Taylor sophomore season 2010 (via dougnkaty)
