FAYETTEVILLE — It was no secret that Riverside, Calif., Community College head coach Tom Craft wanted standout defensive lineman Michael Taylor to stick around for his sophomore season.
But with thanks to Craft, Taylor had other ideas and signed with Arkansas although a late NCAA clearance and arrival ensured he would have to redshirt.
Still Taylor (6-3, 260) - set for the new Hog role in the Razorbacks’ new 3-4 defense - is happy he made the decision and has three years to make an impact at Arkansas.
“I think it was a great decision,” Taylor said. “They did talk about staying and getting more offers, but I think the best decision was for me to come here and understand SEC football and get used to it because out is a different game and a different speed and people don’t understand that.
“It helped me to come out here and adjust with the first team offense that was was going against with (senior offensive lineman Dan) Skip(per) and all them for my situation going to the near future.”
Taylor is currently running first team at the Hog, which is new hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker spot in the new 3-4 and brings new responsibilities.
“The drop is new to me for example,” Taylor said. “I played D-line so I really didn’t drop as much in a four front, but dropping to the flats reading run or pass and stuff like that.
“Sometimes you have to go wheel route and run down the field so me weighing 260 and running down the field, it is not as easy as some guys, but I think I am adjusting pretty well so far.”
Taylor arrived at 245 pounds and now weighs 260, a weight the coaches want to be firmed up.
“I want to say that they want me to lose fat, but want me to keep maintaining the weight because I can un with a lot of weight,” Taylor said. “So far they like where I am at. I am going between 255 and 260 at times.”
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema raved about the contributions that Taylor made on the scout team last season.
“I knew I wasn’t able to play so I was like ‘okay, let me do my thing to my advantage to show them they did the right thing to come and get me and recruit me and stuff like that,” Taylor said. “I took it like every day was a game for me because I wouldn’t get to play on game day.
“So I would just perfect my craft and do as much as I can to help the team and better myself and maybe make a cushion for myself for this season to show them that I am somebody they can rely on in the future.”
He lined up at defensive end most of the time.
“I was playing end, but I did stand up,” Taylor said. “The thing is when we were playing TCU, I was standing up. When we played Auburn, I was standing up. Texas A&M, I was playing Myles Garrett. It varied and some of those things did help with what I am doing now.”
Bielema told Taylor of his new role when he came back to Arkansas in January.
“It was soon as I got back (for the second semester), Coach B told me,” Taylor said. “To be honest with you, I am comfortable wherever they put me at. He explained to me and told me that had planned for me to be the best thing for me with my speed and stuff like that.“So I said, let’s go to work Coach, I am here to help the team so wherever I can be helpful at, that is where I am going to go.”
He is lining up at Hog and junior Randy Ramsey at the Razor.
“The Razor does more coverages, so he drops back more,” Taylor said. “He can run and cover better I would say because Rambo (Randy Ramsey) is the Razor right now and is a very athletic player. If you look at Rambo, he is a freak so he can really get out there and do things faster than me I would say.
“The Hog position is more like a rusher that can set the edge to make chaos sometimes.”