“He’s got incredible vision, unlike anything I’ve seen or any running back I’ve played with,” offensive lineman Quinn Carroll said. “When he sees that hole and hits it, he’s going to make it right. He’s just that special of a talent.”
Asked to name Taylor’s best trait as a runner, quarterback Max Brosmer picked two that work in concert: vision and patience.
“When we’re in shotgun and I can see the holes he’s hitting,” Brosmer said, “he’s got amazing vision. I don’t know how he sees it.”
So often Taylor will take a handoff, run to his left or right, draw the defense that direction, then cut back to the other side for a positive gain. Taylor credits that sleight of hand to coaching and his own innate feel for the game.
“You have freedom within the confines of the run,” he said. “If that’s what’s open, you take what you can.”
Gophers coaches expanded Taylor’s role this season by incorporating him in the passing game, unlocking a new, impactful facet of the offense. He already has 43 catches, which leads Power Four running backs, and is just nine shy of the Gophers’ single-season record of 52 for that position set by Chuck Rios in 1994.