The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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88 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Kurt Taylor Plans To Reward The Wolverines' Faith In Him BY LELAND MITCHINSON Throughout a turbulent Michigan recruiting cycle, Kurt Taylor never wavered. He was going to be a Wol- verine. Michigan had showed faith in Taylor from the beginning, and he wanted to pay the team back in kind. The compact rusher jumped at the chance to be part of what head coach Jim Harbaugh was doing in Ann Ar- bor and committed Oct. 16, 2015. "I toured around the campus and went to a game and everything. It was just profound," Taylor said. "My relationship with the coaches is good. I just feel comfortable there." The running backs group in this year 's recruiting class has experi- enced more than the usual upheaval. Between the back and forth of who else would commit, the decommit- ment of Groton (Mass.) Lawrence Academy running back AJ Dillon and the departure of Michigan run- ning backs coach Tyrone Wheatley, the uncertainty was there. None of that mattered to Taylor, so he contin- ued to be firmly tied with Michigan. Taylor burst onto the scene as a ju- nior in high school, rushing for 1,631 yards and 22 touchdowns for Cov- ington (Ga.) Newton High, becom- ing the first 1,000-yard rusher at the school in 15 years. That outstanding performance garnered attention from many Division I programs, such as Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers and Mississippi State. Following that breakout year, Tay- lor wanted to increase the level of competition he faced, so he trans- ferred to Loganville (Ga.) Grayson for his senior season. At Grayson, Taylor ran for 930 yards — averaging 4.9 yards per carry — while scoring 14 touchdowns on the ground and another five as a receiver. Taylor 's efforts helped Grayson win the Class 7A state championship, the state's largest classification. "He's a very dependable runner," Grayson coach Jeff Herron said. "He had one fumble all year long. He got hit from behind on a screen pass. He's a very tough, physical downhill runner. He catches the ball really well also, and he has the ability to make people miss." That physicality comes from hard work in the weight room, something that is evident from Taylor's weight lifting numbers. He can leg press 900 pounds, and he squatted more than 600 pounds as a junior. Taylor says that Harbaugh — who spearheaded Taylor's recruitment — has compared him to the NFL's Frank Gore, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who Harbaugh coached with the San Francisco 49ers. Taylor likes the com- parison, and they are built similarly. Gore is 5-9, 217 pounds, while Taylor is 5-8, 197. If Taylor turns out to be the same kind of bruising and de- pendable runner Gore is, Michigan fans will be thrilled. "He is naturally strong, to start with. Genetics have been very good to him," Herron said. "But he is also an extremely hard worker. He pushed himself all summer long. When we weren't working out, he was up there doing something. "I think he's always been that way. His dad has a big influence on him. His dad pushes him to do better." Taylor 's father played basketball in college (Hawai'i) and in various professional leagues, and has been a big factor in Taylor's athletic career. "In my family we're always work- ing hard, always improving our- selves and doing our best no matter what," Taylor said. It may be a few years before Michi- gan fans see Taylor on the field. He comes in as Michigan's lowest- ranked recruit according to Rivals. com at just two stars, but the Wolver- ines have had a run of developing players that were not seen as coveted recruits in high school. Taylor will also be competing for time in the Michigan backfield with fellow 2017 running back O'maury Samuels from New Mexico and 2016 freshman Chris Evans, among oth- ers. However, Taylor brings a differ- ent style to the field and could easily create a niche for himself down the road. "He's an absolute pleasure to coach," Herron said. "He's just a great kid that never complains. He really doesn't talk a lot. He's a very quiet kid, unassuming, but he comes to work every day no matter what." Though Michigan may not have a large running back group coming in during the 2017 cycle, with Taylor they have found a player who is ded- icated to the program and willing to work hard to reach the potential the coaches see in him. The Wolverines believed in him, and Taylor is ready to prove them right. ❏ Taylor helped Loganville (Ga.) Grayson win the 7A state championship in 2016, running for 930 yards and scoring 19 touchdowns (14 rushing and five receiving). PHOTO BY TIM SULLIVAN