Leonard Taylor III Emerging as Budding Star on Miami's Defense
Sophomore defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III's stat sheet is nothing spectacular.
The second-year defender only has six tackles and one sack this season. His impact, however, is far beyond what his statistics might indicate.
As a fixture of Miami's deep and talented defensive line group — a unit that added three highly touted recruits and four productive transfers this past offseason — Taylor has had to claw his way for playing time and produce when given the opportunity to do so.
Taylor's explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and violence at the point of attack are the main traits that have stood out through the first four games of the season, leading to his four quarterback pressures and six stops (tackles that constitute a negative play for the offense) per Pro Football Focus. His hand quickness has improved as well from his first to second year.
The South Florida native dominated in high school as a key player for Miami Palmetto (Fla.) High School. Offensive linemen could not keep up with Taylor's freakish athleticism. He was listed by the On3 Sports consensus rankings as the No. 8 player and third-best defensive lineman in the 2021 recruiting class.
Taylor arrived at UM with high expectations, given his ranking. He struggled initially, as he had to adjust to the size and strength of college offensive linemen. In high school, the defensive lineman relied on his sheer power to wreck havoc on defenses, and his game needed more refining.
The former five-star prospect had a strong last game of his freshman campaign, totaling two tackles and a sack against Duke. This momentum has carried over into his second season.
Still, Taylor still has room to grow. He tends to over-pursue ball-carriers and miss tackles. The defensive lineman had three missed tackles in Week 4 against Middle Tennessee State. Taylor also needs a wider array of pass-rush moves to make him more difficult to go up against.
This improvement should continue to become more noticeable as Taylor plays more. The sophomore received 17 snaps in Week 3 before receiving 29 the week after. As Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) games progress, Miami's coaches may decide to shorten the defensive line rotation, which would bode well for the emerging defensive star.
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