Taylor is a 5'6", 155, Freshman running back from Centennial HS, Corona, CA. After gaining 2,290 yards and 44 TDs as a Senior, Taylor was named Mr. Football as the states top offensive player by CalHiSports.com, an All-Inland 1st Team, and a Blue-Grey All-American.
What to Like: Taylor has been extremely productive the last two years and is the latest in a long line of talented running backs to come out of Centennial. He’s incredibly quick and explosive and there may not be another back out West who hits the hole any faster. He runs a lot harder than his size would indicate and shows great balance, often staying on his feet after first and second contact. He’s more quick than fast but has great vision and does a nice job setting up a secondary defender and is very difficult to take down in the open field because of how elusive he is. Taylor also shows great hands out of the backfield and will be able to play some slot in college. He should also see the field right away returning punts and kicks and will be a likely fan favorite because of his wide open running style.
Areas to improve: Taylor is one the smallish side and doesn’t project as an every down back in college. He’s a very durable runner who can carry the ball 25+ a game at the HS level, but in college, he’ll likely be more of a change of pace of back who can come in on 3rd downs and also play out of the slot. As mentioned above, he’s more quick than fast and can continue to improve his top end speed. He runs very hard for his size and runs through contact, which is a plus but also makes him prone to taking a lot of shots and that could wear him down a bit at the next level. Of course he won’t be asked to carry the ball nearly as much in college as he does for Centennial.
Overall Analysis: Taylor is a system back and Arizona is the perfect system for his playing style. He’s a versatile player you can move all over the field and is absolutely scary in the open field. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield will make him especially dangerous on 3rd downs as matched up with a linebacker is a huge mismatch. Taylor is a highly competitive player who always runs hard and is a winner. He comes from a great H.S program that does a very good job preparing players for the next level. Taylor could use a redshirt year to get bigger and stronger but has a chance to be a talented playmaker for the program once he hits the field.
Gimino on JJ Taylor. This guy (JJ not AG) is going to have some spectacular plays this year. We need to get him in space and let him do his magic.
Re: 25 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 4:26 pm
by whatisee
I think he size caused a lot of teams to look past him to other players. Can't wait to see him in action and in space. He's a proven product since he played against a lot of division 1 guys in high school
Re: 25 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 4:58 pm
by azgreg
I remember David Adams being pretty small but effective.
Re: 25 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 12:34 am
by whatisee
azgreg wrote:I remember David Adams being pretty small but effective.
JJ's tape reminds me of the Rodgers brothers from OSU, and he's about the same size as those two
Re: 25 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:53 pm
by Sid
Sounds like from what I'm hearing BYU will get the pleasure of seeing Mr. Taylor.
BYU's defense and my favorite scene from Jaws comes to mind......
Quint: [seeing Hooper's equipment] What are you? Some kind of half-assed astronaut?
[examining the shark cage]
Quint: Jesus H Christ, when I was a boy, every little squirt wanted to be a harpooner or a sword fisherman. What d'ya have there - a portable shower or a monkey cage?
Hooper: Anti-Shark cage.
Quint: Anti-shark cage. You go inside the cage?
[Hooper nods]
Quint: Cage goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark.
[sings]
Quint: Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.
Re: 25 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 7:01 pm
by Merkin
azgreg wrote:I remember David Adams being pretty small but effective.
I remember our chant: "Adams to the left, Adams to the right, Adams up the middle".
Too bad he ended up on the wrong side of the law.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 11:02 pm
by azgreg
This kid is fun to watch.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 11:43 pm
by dirtbags
helluva game vs. hawaii tonight - 168 yds on 16 carries with 1 td. hope he brings it against udub next week.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 12:14 am
by Sid
Thanks SC & Ucla for not giving this kid a sniff. Too small and only a 3 star.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 12:34 am
by whatisee
somebody needs to make a gif of that juke that sent the Hawaii guy flying
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 1:52 am
by dirtbags
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 5:51 am
by whatisee
dirtbags wrote:
For the win! Nice job
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:18 am
by UAEebs86
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 9:16 am
by BearDown89
That should make a highlight reel or a top 10 list somewhere...
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 10:18 am
by azcat49
Dude was breaking ankles all night. Really fun to watch. Always amazes me how coaches miss on kids. Good for us and RR.
He played at the highest level of high school football in California and was the best player on arguably the best program (Centennial) and still got limited big time offers.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 11:13 am
by tgrumpy2
Before I saw him last night I was pretty worried about his size or lack of it. After seeing him I'm still worried but not nearly as much. He seems to be able to avoid the full force of any tackling hit because of his elusiveness. At some point he is going to take a hard hit and we'll see how he responds. But as far as last night, great game J.J. You indeed have some moves.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 11:22 am
by Sid
dirtbags wrote:
Freaking awesome!
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 4:43 pm
by OSUCat
My only concern was durability. I mean he's 5'-6" and 170 lbs and Nick Wilson is 5'-10" and 208 lbs. But then I thought about Oregon Ducks De'Anthony Thomas (Black Mamba) and ESPN had him at 5'-9" and 160 lbs at time of commitment to the Ducks. Thomas is still only listed at 176 lbs. J.J. Taylor is shorter, so he must be a bit thicker than Thomas, so maybe there isn't a durability issue.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 6:03 pm
by whatisee
OSUCat wrote:My only concern was durability. I mean he's 5'-6" and 170 lbs and Nick Wilson is 5'-10" and 208 lbs. But then I thought about Oregon Ducks De'Anthony Thomas (Black Mamba) and ESPN had him at 5'-9" and 160 lbs at time of commitment to the Ducks. Thomas is still only listed at 176 lbs. J.J. Taylor is shorter, so he must be a bit thicker than Thomas, so maybe there isn't a durability issue.
agreed...looks like Green will get a shot as much as Taylor. He looked like he was running hard last night which should come in handy in we do lose Nick.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 6:55 am
by Newportcat
I think JJ is short but he does not look skinny. Definitely looks like a complete recruiting steal for us and those are some special moves he has.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 7:17 am
by The Butcher
Hard to hit a guy solid who can move like that and is 5'6. Sander-esque. And 170 is a bit of beef to pack on a 5'6 frame.
He'll be fine.
I realize I need to pump the brakes on this but I love his game and he does remind me of Sanders. Sanders was listed at 5'8 (maybe) and 200 lb (definitely). And much of that was in his legs and ass. Center of gravity and strength allowed him to break ankles by cutting on a dime and the ability to shed big ass linebackers. Being a man vertically challenged myself, I love Barry.
Check out the spin moves at 3:19 and 5:30. Look familiar?
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 7:19 am
by ChooChooCat
Hoping he has the college impact and NFL future of Darren Sproles.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 7:47 am
by azpenguin
If you take another look at his runs from the night, watch the way he works on guys. He doesn't just try to shake and bake them. He'll lead them with his eyes and upper body and get a read on which way they're committing, then he cuts.
Postgame, they asked how much instinct his spin moves were. He said it was coaching. He said in high school they were always working on hand-on-ground drills. Combine that with his low center of gravity and look out.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:14 am
by UALoco
Man, the kid has video game moves. As long as he doesn't get cocky and start trying to run over guys and he stays away from head on contact...he should be fine. Nick puts his head down and runs directly into guys. That is just is not good.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 11:47 am
by dirtbags
brian jeffries was saying after the game that the players called jj the toughest one on the field to tackle during camp
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:34 pm
by azgreg
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 1:22 pm
by azgreg
Damn this kid is fun to watch.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 3:27 pm
by Merkin
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 3:55 pm
by azpenguin
...and he slowed up for the last several yards.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 5:10 pm
by azcat49
In that clip Moreno posted he was unguardable as a receiver. We have to find a way to get him in space when he is not in the backfield running it.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:50 am
by Puerco
azpenguin wrote:...and he slowed up for the last several yards.
Yeah, but 40 times are not recorded from a running start. Meaningless stat from Ari.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 9:09 am
by azgreg
Puerco wrote:
azpenguin wrote:...and he slowed up for the last several yards.
Yeah, but 40 times are not recorded from a running start. Meaningless stat from Ari.
Yep, but still fast.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 10:41 am
by azpenguin
Puerco wrote:
azpenguin wrote:...and he slowed up for the last several yards.
Yeah, but 40 times are not recorded from a running start. Meaningless stat from Ari.
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said the words I didn't want to hear.
"Hell," he said, "it's one game."
No, no, no, a billion-million times no.
RichRod, peppered with questions about J.J. Taylor in his weekly Monday press conference, was trying to pump the brakes on the hype train about his true freshman running back -- The Jolt? Circle Button? The Tornado? -- but let's go ahead and order full steam ahead.
You saw it.
It was just one game. But one heck of a promising game.
The spinning, the cutting, the darting, the speeding on 18 carries for 168 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown, Saturday night against Hawaii. Yeah, the Rainbow Warriors are one of the worst teams in the country, but Taylor's moves seemed like they would play up against USC or Stanford or the Cleveland Browns or this week's opponent, No. 9 Washington, which very well might have the best defense in the Pac-12.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 7:34 am
by dirtbags
slightly surprised that RR has been downplaying the taylor hype. he's right on about making conclusions based on one data point vs. hawaii, of all teams (similar-ish with dawk), but it also takes some pressure off of nick - assuming that he's actually good to go this weekend. guess he didn't want to be unfair to jj.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 7:42 am
by Merkin
I don't think Wilson will be ready if they have been giving Ty Johnson reps at RB in practice.
Someone said it looked like a high ankle sprain, although not a doctor.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 8:05 am
by azgreg
Merkin wrote:I don't think Wilson will be ready if they have been giving Ty Johnson reps at RB in practice.
Someone said it looked like a high ankle sprain, although not a doctor.
Do you play one on TV?
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 8:08 am
by Merkin
azgreg wrote:
Merkin wrote:I don't think Wilson will be ready if they have been giving Ty Johnson reps at RB in practice.
Someone said it looked like a high ankle sprain, although not a doctor.
Do you play one on TV?
Haha, I was really going to say that, but not sure how many would get the 1970 era TV commercial reference.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 9:17 am
by Catstatic
But it's not just one game. We have been hearing hype about this kid for a very long time, and now we know what all the hype was about. Taylor is absolutely for real. Here is hoping that when Wilson comes back they will split time between these two. Taylor has to get in the game and Wilson has to not carry the ball 30 times a game! We need a healthy Wilson and Taylor needs significant PT. These two plus Dawkins, who can go for 6 at any time? Nice.
Go Cats!!
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 9:34 am
by Sid
Catstatic wrote:But it's not just one game. We have been hearing hype about this kid for a very long time, and now we know what all the hype was about. Taylor is absolutely for real. Here is hoping that when Wilson comes back they will split time between these two. Taylor has to get in the game and Wilson has to not carry the ball 30 times a game! We need a healthy Wilson and Taylor needs significant PT. These two plus Dawkins, who can go for 6 at any time? Nice.
Go Cats!!
ESPN will start hyping him after Saturday night. My (2) favorite recruits I have been pumping up even before they stepped on campus were JJ and Tristan. I'm just excited they've been given the opportunity to show what they can do. Speaks to if a young man comes in with a strong work ethic & eager to learn you will be given every opportunity to earn playing time early in your career at Arizona. A positive on the recruiting trail I would hope....
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 9:43 am
by Merkin
Sid wrote: My (2) favorite recruits I have been pumping up even before they stepped on campus were JJ and Tristan.
Awesome. Way too late thou, but better late than never I guess?
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 11:16 pm
by BMalo
Posted in wrong thread.
JJ out w a broken ankle per RR in post game presser
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 11:19 pm
by BearDown89
Absolutely heart breaking. I mean, come on.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 11:22 pm
by Chicat
We are snakebit.
PS - Fuck that Washington defender who kept pushing JJ after the play was well over and the whistle was blown. I hope his girlfriend gives him a raging case of anal warts.
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 12:33 am
by azcat49
Can he get a medical redshirt? F this noise, playing with our 4th string RB. What is with these injuries?
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 12:45 am
by whatisee
azcat49 wrote:Can he get a medical redshirt? F this noise, playing with our 4th string RB. What is with these injuries?
Yes...he's eligible. If he continues to play as he did this year after his injury. We won't have to worry about him being here for 5 years. Kid is a fucking stud. My ankle would have busted had that fatass rolled on it.
Nice thing about next year is it's possible we'll have 3 studs at RB
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:04 am
by uacat540
Did anyone else find the way washington tackles a bit weird? They love to bring players down by the neck and then roll them backwards?
Re: 23 J.J. Taylor
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 12:09 pm
by azpenguin
Really feel bad for the kid. He got his chance, he was playing well for the second straight game, and then a freak injury occurs.
