Miami football 2021 Class: 5-star DT Leonard Taylor future anchor
Five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor will be the anchor of the defensive line for the Miami football team after signing a national letter of intent on Wednesday.
Five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor is the highest-ranked signee for the Miami football program in the Class of 2021. Taylor and athlete James Williams are the first pair of five-star signees with the Hurricanes since 2008. Taylor and Williams will anchor the Miami defense for at least the next three years.
Taylor is the 10th ranked player, third-ranked defensive tackle and the top-ranked player in Florida in the Class of 2021 according to the 247Sports composite. The commitment to Miami this summer surprised some recruiting analysts who expected Taylor to commit to Florida. The potential future is bright for the Miami defense.
The tandem of Taylor and Williams as the anchors could give Manny Diaz the best defense in his tenure with Miami since 2016. Taylor was the XX player to send in his LOI on Wednesday. Despite the high expectations for Taylor, DT will be one of the deepest positions on the Miami defense in 2021.
Senior Jon Ford and Junior Nesta Silvera have the option of entering the 2021 NFL Draft. Beyond Silvera, Miami will return redshirt sophomore Jason Miller and redshirt freshmen Jared Harrison-Hunte, Jalar Holley and Elijah Roberts at DT. Ford has the option of returning with the extra year granted to all fall sports 2020 athletes.
The Miami defensive line has emerged to become one of the best in the country after inconsistencies earlier in the season. Miami ranks 19th nationally with a 23.8 stuff rate provided by football outsiders. With the experience Miami has returning at DT, Taylor will be able to be a part of the rotation.
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In his scouting report for 247, Andrew Ivins expects Taylor to be a future early-round NFL Draft pick. Ivins projects that Taylor has room to add another 20 pounds. Taylor can play multiple positions and alignments on the defensive line. Ivins expects Taylor to become a future All-ACC player.