by Bill Seals
Iowa State became the first offer earlier this year for a St. Louis (Mo.) suburban defensive end in the 2020 class and is working to line the prospect up for an unofficial visit.
Florisaant Hazlewood Central junior Caleb Taylor said he was excited that a program he’d taken notice in would step up and become his first offer back in late-January.
“It really caught me by surprise, because I hadn’t heard too much from them or about them,” said Taylor. “It was crazy. A week before, I remember looking at different schools and seeing what I may or may not be interested in. Iowa State was one of the schools I was checking out, to see if I’d have an interest in going to a camp to get their interest. But a week after that, Coach McDonald showed up at my school and offered me.”
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Taylor has been recruited by the Cyclones’ top assistant in the area D.K. McDonald.
“He came in and sold the university to me, telling me different things about Iowa State and the Big 12,” Taylor said. “He started talking about me. He likes that the whole staff loved my tape. One of the big things he talked about was potential. He feels like I have a lot more room to grow and be a dominant defensive end. I have decent size and decent speed.”
In addition to what McDonald has shared, Taylor said he’s also learned some other aspects of ISU that he covets.
“I like the location, since it’s not too far from home but far enough,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot of the small things. The playing surface is natural grass and they’re one of the only schools to still has it. That matters to me. They’re also in the Big 12 and are competing against top schools every year. I like it up there a lot.”
Since securing the one from I-State, Taylor has added G5 offers from the likes of Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Wyoming. SMU is also a program that’s expressed a lot of interest. Taylor says it’s from those schools that he’s talked to the most.
“I’m probably hearing from SMU, Eastern Michigan and Ball State more than anybody,” he said. “I don’t plan on committing until after my senior season. I’m not really into releasing top-fives or anything. I’ll just make my decision and that would be after the season.”
Taylor’s interest from the Cyclones could increase in the near future if he’s able to make a trip to Ames to meet with members of the staff.
“We’re trying to set up a visit right now, whether it would be at a spring practice and a visit afterwards or I just come up on one random day,” Taylor said. “They said I could come up anytime, but I’d like to come up for a practice so I need to figure out my schedule.”
Iowa State became the first offer earlier this year for a St. Louis (Mo.) suburban defensive end in the 2020 class and is working to line the prospect up for an unofficial visit.
Florisaant Hazlewood Central junior Caleb Taylor said he was excited that a program he’d taken notice in would step up and become his first offer back in late-January.
“It really caught me by surprise, because I hadn’t heard too much from them or about them,” said Taylor. “It was crazy. A week before, I remember looking at different schools and seeing what I may or may not be interested in. Iowa State was one of the schools I was checking out, to see if I’d have an interest in going to a camp to get their interest. But a week after that, Coach McDonald showed up at my school and offered me.”
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Taylor has been recruited by the Cyclones’ top assistant in the area D.K. McDonald.
“He came in and sold the university to me, telling me different things about Iowa State and the Big 12,” Taylor said. “He started talking about me. He likes that the whole staff loved my tape. One of the big things he talked about was potential. He feels like I have a lot more room to grow and be a dominant defensive end. I have decent size and decent speed.”
In addition to what McDonald has shared, Taylor said he’s also learned some other aspects of ISU that he covets.
“I like the location, since it’s not too far from home but far enough,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot of the small things. The playing surface is natural grass and they’re one of the only schools to still has it. That matters to me. They’re also in the Big 12 and are competing against top schools every year. I like it up there a lot.”
Since securing the one from I-State, Taylor has added G5 offers from the likes of Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Wyoming. SMU is also a program that’s expressed a lot of interest. Taylor says it’s from those schools that he’s talked to the most.
“I’m probably hearing from SMU, Eastern Michigan and Ball State more than anybody,” he said. “I don’t plan on committing until after my senior season. I’m not really into releasing top-fives or anything. I’ll just make my decision and that would be after the season.”
Taylor’s interest from the Cyclones could increase in the near future if he’s able to make a trip to Ames to meet with members of the staff.
“We’re trying to set up a visit right now, whether it would be at a spring practice and a visit afterwards or I just come up on one random day,” Taylor said. “They said I could come up anytime, but I’d like to come up for a practice so I need to figure out my schedule.”
