Alontae Taylor to Vanderbilt: Commodores Land 4-Star ATH Prospect

The Vanderbilt Commodores football program added a weapon on the recruiting trail Tuesday. 

Alontae Taylor, a 4-star prospect, became the first piece of Vanderbilt’s 2018 recruiting class. The dual-threat quarterback took to Twitter to make the announcement:

Taylor checks in at 6’1” and 185 pounds and is the No. 94 overall player, the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 5 prospect in Tennessee in the class of 2018, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The Tennessee native drew interest from Troy, Clemson, North Carolina and Tennessee, among others, but chose to stick close to home with the Commodores.

He suggested location was one of multiple factors that played a role in his decision, per Barton Simmons of 247Sports: “I just like their academics, football program and it’s close to home.” 

Head coach Derek Mason seemed pleased with the news:     

Jesse Johnson of 247Sports called Taylor “one of the best players in the class of 2018” even though he may not play quarterback in college like he does in high school.

Even Taylor recognized that, per Simmons: “I think I’ll probably play wide receiver or defensive back in college.”

While Taylor left open the possibility of playing defense at Vanderbilt, Simmons noted the playmaker has already accounted for more than 900 yards of total offense in his high school season. An offensive playmaker like that is an ideal piece to set the foundation for a recruiting class because the coaching staff can pitch the opportunity to play alongside him in a high-scoring group.

Taylor has experience in the backfield as a quarterback but the speed and shiftiness to play on the outside and beat defenders in the open field.

If Vanderbilt ever hopes to compete with the elite programs in the SEC, it needs to stock up on athletes who can account for explosive plays. Taylor is an excellent start for the class of 2018.  

Recruiting info courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.