Virginia Tech Football Recruiting: Battle for Four-Star CB Garrett Taylor

By Tim Thomas | Oct 28, 2014

The Virginia Tech Hokies have built a strong foundation for a big time recruiting class for next season led by cornerback Mook Reynolds and defensive end Trevon Hill. However, the Hokies’ Class of 2015 lacks some star power but that could change with multiple consensus four-star, nationally ranked players having the Hokies near the top of their lists.

One of those players is Garrett Taylor.

Taylor is a four-star cornerback from St Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia that was previously committed to the Michigan Wolverines. However, Michigan’s terrible season became enough recently for Taylor who decommitted from Michigan which is currently the biggest mess in college football with only Florida being close.

Taylor is ranked as the 48th best player in the nation by Rivals, 130th by ESPN, and 107th by the 247 Sports Composite. Taylor also is ranked as the 6th best cornerback by Rivals and 12th best by ESPN and the 247 Sports Composite.

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Even though Taylor was previously committed to Michigan, the Wolverines seem to be completey out of the hunt for the four-star cornerback. Tennessee is on the edge of the recruiting battle for Taylor but there are three teams that seem to be the main contenders: Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Penn State has done a great job recruiting led by James Franklin who has proven to be a great recruiter in the Mid-Atlantic region. Penn State seems to have a bright future with all the talented recruits they are bringing in and they will make a big push. Penn State will get an official visit from Taylor on November 29th, one week after Ohio State.

If there was one team to pick as a favorite, it would be Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even with the Buckeyes’ loss to the Hokies, Ohio State still is having a strong season and Urban Meyer is a proven winner. The fact that Meyer has won national titles at Florida and only loss three games at Ohio State has to impress. Ohio State also is very stable with only Luke Fickell as interim coach in 2011 being the only coach that didn’t last at least a decade.

Meanwhile, the Hokies’ big win over Ohio State has helped Virginia Tech on the recruiting trail even with their struggles since. Having the home state advantage also is a big boost for the Hokies though the lack of job security for Frank Beamer can’t be helping right now. However, Taylor seems like a guy who could be the fourth cornerback and play some next season if the Hokies move Chuck Clark or Brandon Facyson.

Taylor could also find his way into some playing time as the number five cornerback that could climb the depth chart depending on injuries. The Hokies are going to be serious contenders and Virginia Tech will likely receive an official visit from Taylor. For now, it is unknown exactly when he will do that.

Virginia Tech is clearly one of the top contenders for four-star cornerback Garrett Taylor.