Kent Taylor's dad Rob Taylor spent eight seasons as an offensive tackle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Those are large shoes to grow into.
The nation's No. 1 tight end Kent
Taylor has caught 13 TDs in two seasons.
Photo by Tom Lemming
MaxPreps-CBS recruiting guru Tom Lemming said Kent, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound senior at
Land O'Lakes (Fla.), reminds him of Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen.
"Both facially and athletically," Lemming said.
That's another spiffy pair of cleats to attempt to wear.
Despite the hot bright lights of NFL comparison, and being rated the No. 1 tight end for the Class of 2012 –
No. 34 recruit overall – Kent Taylor seems rather undaunted, if not oblivious.
"I just absolutely love the game - that's all I focus on," he said. "I love the rush of adrenaline every time I take the field."
Unfortunately, after breaking his left hand on the last play of a preseason game against Anclote on Aug. 26, Taylor isn't taking the field these days. He'll miss at least two games – Land O'Lakes opened with a 36-16 win over
Zephyrhills – and according to reports he will be reevaluated Monday. He should be back for the team's Class 6A-District 6 opener against
Hernando (Brooksville).
"It's a big blessing that no surgery is needed," Land O'Lakes coach Brian Wachtel told the Tampa Tribune. "It was a clean break, so we're just going to let the healing process take place and go from there."
Taylor was expecting a huge senior year after catching 35 passes for 571 yards and nine scores as a junior. He caught TD passes in eight of his team's 10 games. That was after a relatively tame sophomore year when he caught just seven passes, though four went for touchdowns.
"He's a special talent," former Land O'Lakes coach Matt Kitchie told the Tribune. "He's been blessed with a large body and a tremendous amount of athleticism for his size. What makes him a little different is he had an ability to block and takes great pride in it."
Lemming said what impresses all the college coaches is his ability to get downfield and make catches.
"He has proven to be a bit of a hybrid," Lemming said. "He plays both wide receiver and tight end and shows good blocking skills. He has the frame to weigh 250 in college, but right now he does a great job of creating mismatches, whether he is split out or with his hand on the ground."
With more than 50 college offers, Taylor has planned just two recruiting trips thus far, including one today to Penn State. On Nov. 4, he's planning to meet with Alabama. Florida and Georgia are also on his short list.
"It gets a little tiring," Taylor said about recruiting rigors. "It's crazy how many calls I'll get during a week. But I'm not complaining. It's all good."
Blocking and putting on weight are the two things Taylor needs to work on, he said. But "work" is a relative term, considering Taylor loves to condition. He plans to become a strength and conditioning coach one day.
Right now, Lemming said, Taylor is something of a physical specimen.
"He runs very well for a 218-pounder," Lemming said. "He gets off the line quickly and is flexible enough to avoid traffic, find the open seam, catch the ball with his hands and then get some separation from the defender. He gets his head around quickly and has proven to be a long-ball threat. He presents an awfully big target who dominates the middle of the field."
