Taylor had a lot of talent before recently tearing his ACL.
Garrett Taylor is one of the top athletes in the Atlantic Coast region, and he's brought a lot of interest from schools around the country.
Taylor attends Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher's School and is listed at 6'1, weighing in at 188 pounds. He is projected to play cornerback at the next level, but 247Sports also lists him as an athlete.
He is a consensus four-star recruit, receiving the ranking from 247Sports, Rivals, Scout and ESPN. 247Sports is highest on the prospect, rating him as the eighth-best cornerback in the nation and the third-best player in the state of Virginia. The 247Sports Composite, which aggregates the ratings of all four major recruiting services, considers Taylor a four-star, rating him as the 10th-best cornerback in the nation and the sixth-best player in the state of Virginia.
Taylor claims offers from Michigan, Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others. He can be found on Twitter @gtaychillin.
Note: Unfortunately, Taylor tore his ACL in late August. Our scouting report is reflective of what he did as a junior.
Derrell Warren, West Coast Recruiting Analyst: Taylor is a talented recruit who plays on both sides of the ball for his high school team. He carries a sturdy looking frame and plays bigger than his listed measurables. Even though his offensive highlights reveal him to be a productive receiver with playmaking instinct, his eventual ceiling is likely highest in the defensive backfield.
On tape, Taylor’s high school team runs a lot of off-man and zone coverage, allowing him to focus his eyes on the ball for longer stretches. He has exceptional reactionary quickness -- he's confident enough in his reads that you often see him take his initial step down to the flat, just prior to the ball leaving the quarterback’s hand.
Upon arrival at the football, Taylor is a solid "wrap" tackler who surrenders minimal yards after contact. He breaks down in space, wraps up and drives his frame through the ball carrier.
Taylor’s baseline skill set might even translate better to safety, due to his lateral range and ball skills. You can see on tape while playing wide receiver that he locates the ball quickly, adjusts his frame and is an explosive leaper who times his jumps well. He displays a knack for being able to put himself in position to attack the ball in the air just as he gets to the apex of his jump.