Taylor on Gators Offer: 'UF Has Always Been a Top School for Me'
Florida expanded its board of tight ends in the class of 2022 by offering St. Thomas Aquinas' (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) Mason Taylor on Wednesday.
Taylor, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame edge rusher Jason Taylor and nephew of former NFL All-Pro linebacker Zach Thomas, earned his offer following a workout with Gators tight ends coach Tim Brewster during UF's most recent high school football camp. The two met quickly after initiating contact regarding Taylor's recruitment in recent days.
"[Wednesday] was the first day I worked out with coach Brewster and it was a great experience. I got to show him what I can bring to the table and got to take some good tips home," Taylor told AllGators, recalling his trip to UF. "He likes how I have great hands through contact and great size for the routes I run."
Although he doesn't have much production on his résumé, Taylor has impressed Brewster and the Gators coaching staff on film and during workouts. Taylor caught six passes for 133 yards - tallying an outstanding 22.2 yards per catch - during his 2020 season. His NFL bloodlines are also intriguing, and the mix of factors has led to 22 scholarship offers to date.
Taylor is the first tight end that the Gators have offered since securing the commitment of Berkeley Prep's (Tampa, Fla.) CJ Hawkins in March. Brewster has aimed for two tight end commits in a single class for a consecutive year, however, and has continued to recruit prospects such as Greer's (Greer, S.C.) Jaleel Skinner and West Forsyth's (Cumming, Ga.) Oscar Delp.
Now, Taylor can be added to the list of 2022 prospects Brewster covets. Good news for Brewster: Taylor has a soft spot for Florida going for him.
"UF has always been a top school for me since I was young, as I grew up in Florida," Taylor said. "I’ve known and grown up seeing this program grow as well ... the tight ends in Florida’s offense are used a lot and that means a lot for a recruit like me."
In addition to his workout, Taylor was also able to check out a bit of Florida's campus during his trip. He intends to make another visit to Florida during the fall, ideally with his commitment in the rear-view mirror by that time as he plans to make a college decision before his senior season begins.
St. Thomas Aquinas has supplied the Gators with plenty of talent in the past, most recently including 2020 linebacker Derek Wingo. 2021 edge rusher Tyreak Sapp also signed with Florida but has yet to enroll.
With an offer from UF now under his belt, Taylor has an opportunity to be the next Raider-turned-Gator.
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