UW nabs highest-rated player in 16 class
Wisconsin made a big splash with its first commitment from a projected wide receiver in the 2016 class.
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In landing A.J. Taylor, who made his pledge to UW public Saturday, the Badgers are getting their highest-rated prospect in the current cycle.
I'm making my verbal commitment to the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON pic.twitter.com/tCs0sb7t1D— AJ Taylor (@aj_taylor2016) August 1, 2015
Taylor, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior from Kansas City (MO) Rockhurst, is the No. 11 athlete and No. 143 player in the country, according to Rivals.com. As a 5.9 four-star, he's one tick ahead of running back commit Antonio Williams, who carries a 5.8 mark.
Position coach Ted Gilmore served as Taylor's primary recruiting contact and was able to get him on campus twice this spring, most recently for the spring game in April.
"The second time was a lot more invaluable and I was a lot more informed going in," Taylor told BadgerBlitz.com in a previous interview. "The first time I went up there I didn't have an offer and I didn't really know what to expect. With an offer on the table this time, I feel like I learned a lot about how they want to use me as a football player and everything that goes on academically. It was extremely informative this time.
"They envision me as a receiver and coach Gilmore sees me as a guy who can separate from defenders. They want to use me as someone who can get out there and work in space. They think I have a lot of potential there."
Taylor, who accumulated nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards and scored more than 15 touchdowns as a junior, chose UW over offers from Missouri, Northwestern, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska and Vanderbilt, among others. He's the Badgers' 16th known commitment in the current cycle.
UW is expected to take three receivers in this class with Demari Simpkins also scheduled to announce in the next day or two.
From Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt:
"Taylor is the kind of dynamic playmaker coaches love to sit around and sketch out new plays for. He reminds me a lot of Jalin Marshall, who was Ohio State's second-leading receiver last year as a redshirt freshman. Wisconsin should be able to utilize Taylor in much the same way Ohio State has used Marshall. Both played primarily in the backfield in high school and have that running back mentality, and when you get them in space with the football they are a nightmare for defenses. Taylor also has the ideal skill set to be used in the return game and I expect will be used a myriad of ways by the Badgers starting early in his college career."