Virginia RB J'Mari Taylor Declares For The NFL Draft

Virginia running back declares for the NFL draft after a productive season with the Cavaliers. He came over to the Hoos this season after four years with North Carolina Central. Taylor rushed for 1,062 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2025. He also finished with 253 receiving yards and a touchdown.

UVA running back J’Mari Taylor officially declares for the NFL Draft.

Taylor became the first UVA player since 2018 to rush for 1,000 yards and first UVA RB since 2004 to earn first team All-ACC honors. pic.twitter.com/IfREGgQW11
— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) December 29, 2025

He had his best game of the season against NC State, rushing for 150 yards and three touchdowns. He was also explosive in the first matchup against Duke, rushing for his second-highest output of 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry and was a big catalyst in helping the Hoos have a turnaround season in Charlottesville. Taylor earned first-team All-ACC honors this past seaosn.

Taylor was the fourth-highest graded running back for the Hoos this season, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). He finished with a 75.8 offensive grade and an 80.0 running grade. When you look at his numbers even further, you can’t help but be impressed. Taylor had 21 explosive runs this season of over 10+ yards. He also had 753 yards after contact on his 1,062 yards. That means he is not going down after first contact and is gaining yards and making people miss. Taylor created 54 missed tackles and did a lot of his damage in the zone blocking scheme. His jukes, cuts, and downhill running ability gave the defense fits.

When head coach Tony Elliot recruited him from North Carolina Central, he was in awe of what he could do with the ball in his hands.

As you studied him more, you saw, okay, well, man, not only can he hit the home run, he's really good at the, and then you start to really study, and it's like, man, that's really good eye-feet coordination. So I think it started when you saw some pop on tape with the home run ability. And then obviously, you're gonna say, okay, well, let's see the total package. And then as you study him, and then you get a chance to meet him, you bring him in, and you spend some time around him, you talk football with him, you put him on the board, you see that he has a great foundation,” said Elliot.

He is more than just a good running back, but also a leader and someone who can be a staple in the locker room. His head coach talked about his leadership earlier this season.

"Just being himself. I think one of the challenges for any of these guys that are coming into a new program is you gotta try and figure out your identity and your role, but it starts with being yourself. And so he came in very humble, and he was a guy that was pushing 2,000 rush yards in his career, 23 plus touchdowns. played a lot of football. So he just was himself and fit in really well with the other guys in the running back room and just went to work. If you meet Jamari, he's very blue collar, doesn't say a lot, a student of the game,” said Elliot.

“He's always seeking to get better. He's always asking ways to improve. He takes coaching well. So I think he just came in and was himself, and it, garnered the respect of his teammates, which allowed him to go out to practice and in scrimmage situations and just be himself and find ways to make the routine play. But then also show that he has the ability to hit the home run when it presents itself."

He finished his collegiate career with 2,944 yards and 37 touchdowns. He was also a threat in the passing game, finishing with 97 catches for 868 yards and 10 touchdowns. Taylor will be a gem for an NFL team come April when the draft is held in Pittsburgh. Taylor will be someone very happy they landed him.

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