Look Back at Former UA RB Currently With Texans

The countdown continues as we are now officially 21 days away from the season opener for Arizona against Hawaii. Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a look back at some of the top players in Arizona football history by jersey number as we inch closer towards the start of the season for the Wildcats.

We continue with former Arizona RB J.J. Taylor who played with the Wildcats from 2016-19.

Taylor appeared in just four games with one start during his freshman year, totaling 261 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries before he broke his ankle to end his season early. He ran for 168 yards against Hawaii, which ranked eighth-most by a freshman in UA history.

The next year, as a redshirt freshman, Taylor took the next step, running for 847 yards and five touchdowns on 146 carries across 13 games with three starts. He also added 12 receptions for 49 yards through the air and another two scores. He was named the Pac-12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year, sharing the honor with Stanford lineman Walker Little. Taylor had closed the season strong, running for 462 yards on 58 carries across the final five games of the regular season.

It was his third year in the program when Taylor truly exploded in a workhorse role. He ran for 1,434 yards and six touchdowns on 255 carries. He also added 16 receptions for 133 yards through the air and another score. He was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press as an all-purpose player and was named an All-Pac-12 First Team selection at running back. His 1,434 yards on the ground then was was fourth-most in UA single-season history and placed him No. 7 in the country that year among all running backs.

Taylor appeared in 11 games in his final year in the program, running for 721 yards and five touchdowns on 148 carries. He caught a career-high 32 passes for 289 yards through the air. Taylor finished his career at Arizona, totaling 3,263 yards on the ground with 20 total touchdowns on 587 carries to go along with 62 receptions through the air.

After not being selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, Taylor signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent. He began on the practice squad before making his NFL debut in that first game against the Miami Dolphins.

His best game as a pro came in October of 2021 when he ran for two touchdowns against the New York Jets.

Taylor was waived by New England in 2022 before signing to the Texans' practice squad the following year. He appeared in five games with Houston last season and remains in training camp with them, looking to compete for a depth spot in their backfield.

What was your favorite memory from Taylor during his time at Arizona? Let us know and be sure to follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.