Brien Taylor, a lanky threat along the defensive line for Florida Football
One area the Florida Gators need to keep adding depth to is the defensive line as they try to restock for the 2024 campaign.
We detailed the Gators’ pursuit of Joey Slackman yesterday, and they were rewarded with the signing of one of the nation’s best JUCO players.
Football in Florida: Tall Taylor
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive lineman Brien Taylor is a native of Houston, Texas. After graduating from high school, he was a zero-star prospect who enrolled at Blinn College in Houston, the same junior college where Cam Newton was expelled from the Gators more than ten years prior and spent a season.
Taylor benefited greatly from his time at JUCO, and 247 Sports ranked him as the third-best JUCO defensive lineman. Taylor recorded 39 tackles in 13 games with Blinn, with 9.5 of those being for a loss.
Yesterday, Taylor declared his commitment to the Gators
It is clear how big Taylor is in the little film that is available. At times, Taylor feels like a true man among the boys on the field, towering over the opposition’s linemen. Despite not being a track star, he is incredibly athletic and showed no trouble taking down opposing quarterbacks when given the opportunity.
We will lower our expectations even though Taylor is regarded as one of the top 10 JUCO prospects for this cycle. The majority of JUCO stars don’t proceed to be highly influential players at the next level, despite the ideal that Last Chance U offered.
When Diwun Black committed to Florida football, he was the highest-rated player in the 2021 class. In his two years with the Gators, he recorded seven tackles. Jeffrey M’ba, who has two sacks in two seasons, was the player with the highest ranking for 2022. Malik Benson, who finished first in 2023, led Alabama in receiving yards with 162 yards this season.
However, Taylor is a need filler who should improve the team’s roster for 2024 even if he is a rotation player.
