West Virginia football looks for boost in passing game from TE Kole Taylor
West Virginia wanted to find a pass catching tight end in the transfer portal and the coaching staff did that by securing the pledge of former LSU tight end Kole Taylor.
During his recruitment the coaching staff had to show Taylor how they planned to change the offense in order to feature the tight end spot. It was a promise, but one that he believed in so he elected to commit to the program.
"They gave me a lot of film that they planned on doing and i think they've kept the promise. I think we’re revamping the offense and using the tight end," he said.
Now, in his first season with the Mountaineers there are high expectations for what he could eventually become within the scheme as a pass catcher.
The former slot wide receiver is somebody Brown says is open by birth given his size and speed at the position and it's something West Virginia wants to take advantage of.
"That's why we brought him here," head coach Neal Brown said.
Taylor, 6-foot-7, 250-pounds, spent three seasons with the Tigers where he appeared in 32 games and made a total of 7 starts during that time.
The Colorado native caught 17 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown over those three seasons as he developed his body for the college level and competed with a deep room. That led him to look for options that the Mountaineers had what he wanted.
And now in new surroundings it’s his experience at his size that made him attractive for the program.
“He’s played in major college football and he’s played in atmospheres that we’re going to play in this fall,” tight ends coach Blaine Stewart said. “And I think he brings a mindset of professionalism.”
Taylor has spent time at the highest level of college football and while he doesn’t necessarily say a lot, he often speaks with his actions in the weight room, training room and on the field. Those are qualities that the coaching staff hopes bleed into the members of the position room.
The talented tight end knew that if he wanted to make the most of this second chance he had to showcase what he can do.
"I knew i had trust in my ability. If I could come here and make plays i could force them to get me ball," he said.
The redshirt junior enrolled at West Virginia in January and once Stewart took the post it didn’t take long for the two to establish a strong connection on and off the field. Given his 6-foot-7 frame, Taylor has a unique skill set that the Mountaineers simply haven’t had in recent years.
That makes him an interesting complement to what the program already has in Treylan Davis who is more of a physical blocking tight end. The hope is that the position takes a leap forward with an emphasis on what those two can bring to the table.
And Taylor is expected to be a big part of that equation according to Stewart.
“His athletic ability speaks for itself. He runs really well for a big man, he has good ball skills,” he said.
The focus is trying to turn that skill set into one that can be moved around to handle multiple different positions in the scheme so Taylor can be utilized in many different ways.
This past spring was about trying to make a leap and Taylor is certainly made a good first impression.
“We’re just trying to find a way to continue to build so he feels really comfortable in every spot in our offense,” Stewart said.
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