The state of Florida was deep on tight ends in the class of 2011, boasting the likes of
Nick O'Leary,
A.C. Leonard, and
Brandon Fulse.
The Sunshine State may not be as deep at the position in 2012, but it is home to the country's No. 1 tight end
Kent Taylor.
Taylor could thrive in a pro-style offense
in college.
Photo courtesy of Kent Taylor
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Taylor has seen his stock rise immensely this offseason after catching 35 passes for 571 yards and nine touchdowns. Florida Atlantic offered Taylor after his sophomore season, but since then, he's been flooded with scholarship offers from top programs throughout the SEC and ACC.
Matt Kitchie, who coached Taylor as a sophomore and junior at
Land O'Lakes (Fla.) before joining the staff at Hillsborough this offseason, says that if placed in the right system at the next level, Taylor can be a difference-maker.
"I truly believe he has the skills to be an elite type of tight end," he said. "A lot of people are comparing him to Greg Olsen. I don't know if he has Olsen's speed, but he has his ability to get open and make people miss."
Kitchie is also high on Taylor's ability to run block, but says he has room to improve. Taylor could benefit overall from continuing to spend time in the weight room. He'll need to add a significant amount of weight without compromising his quickness.
He's already added about 10 pounds of muscle this offseason despite being a key member of Land O' Lakes' baseball team, Kitchie said.
Still, his blend of production and promise is enough to make him the country's best tight end.
"It feels awesome," Taylor told MaxPreps via text. "I'm extremely honored."
Taylor's father, Rob, played football at Northwestern, but the Wildcats don't appear to be in the running for Taylor, who has no timetable on a decision. Offensive scheme could prove to be a major factor in Taylor's recruitment.
"I know he's real big on playing in a pro-type system," Kitchie said.
Kitchie believes five schools could be in the lead in the early going: Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Miami, and Penn State.
