The Miami football program has work to do after five-star 2021 defensive tackle Leonard Taylor announced the Hurricanes in his top five on Sunday via Twitter.
Five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor who is the nation’s 27th ranked player in 2021 and the third-ranked DT named the Miami football program as one of his five finalists on Sunday. Taylor made the announcement on Sunday via Twitter. Auburn, Florida, LSU and Tennessee are the other programs in Taylor’s top five.
Taylor is 6’4, 255 pounds and ready to contribute as a true freshman. The Miami football program is selling Taylor that he can sign with play instantly. Miami will lose rising senior Jon Ford after the 2020 season. Rising junior Nesta Silvera has the option of declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.
All four-crystal balls for on 247Sports.Com project Taylor as signing with Florida. The Miami football staff held a Zoom meeting with Taylor and his family on Friday according to Andrew Ivins of Inside the U. Taylor becomes the third player from Miami Palmetto to name the Hurricanes as a finalist in the past week.
Four-star safety Corey Collier and three-star wide receiver Breshard Smith named the Hurricanes as finalists earlier this week. Taylor recorded 68 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and two interceptions according to Ivins’ colleague Gaby Urrutia. Miami is going to need a big season to have a chance to sign Taylor.
Dreams coming true ✅ @PantherPride305 pic.twitter.com/VA4mCTcYao
— Leonard Taylor ⁵⁶ (@56reasons_) May 24, 2020
Tennessee replaced Georgia in a top-five that Taylor released in December. Rivals.Com ranked Taylor’s top five in order as Florida, LSU and Auburn with Georgia fourth and Miami fifth. The Hurricanes likely move up to fourth with the Volunteers slotting behind them with Georgia theoretically eliminated.
Barton Simmons of 247Sports stated that Taylor is one of the best interior linemen to come out of South Florida in years and that he projects as a multi-year starter in college with the potential to be an all-league player wherever he signs with the upside of being an All-American and eventual first-round NFL Draft pick.