Wisconsin Football : Sophomore Running Back Jonathan Taylor
By Joe Orlofski
Badger of Honor wraps up it’s miniseries on the elements of Wisconsin running back depth by taking a look at Jonathan Taylor.
It is safe to say that every Badger fan, and most NCAA football fans, know who Jonathan Taylor is by now. However that wasn’t the case before September of 2017. Taylor was relatively unknown in Wisconsin, and many believed that Chris James and Bradrick Shaw would be the ones to lead the backfield.
In the first game against Utah State, Shaw actually got the majority of the carries. Taylor really only saw playing time in the 2nd half of the game. He rushed nine times for 89 yards and one touchdown in a 59-10 blowout.
We, as fans probably just thought he looked good because he was rushing against a bad team, but Coach Paul Chryst must have seen something in the freshman. The next game against FAU, Taylor got 26 carries, turning it into 223 yards and three touchdowns. From then on, Taylor was at the helm.
By the end of the season, Jonathan “Touchdown” Taylor had rushed 299 times for 1977 yards and 13 touchdowns. That was good enough for an insane 6.6 yards per carry. Taylor finished 6th in the Heisman voting, and broke the Freshman FBS rushing record once held by Adrian Petersen. He probably would have rushed for over 2000 yards had he not missed time against Illinois due to a leg injury.
Recruiting
Taylor’s recruiting profile might be surprising to some. He was the 24th overall ranked running back in the nation and the 8th overall player out of New Jersey. The three star recruit held only seven offers, most notably from Rutgers and Virginia Tech. It seems as though he had a rather quiet recruiting process and wasn’t highly regarded.
In the end, Wisconsin must have seen something special in him. Add to that to the Badgers’ recent success with New Jersey running backs (Ron Dayne, Corey Clement). Taylor was a diamond in the rough.
Looking to the 2018 Season
There really isn’t much more to say about Jonathan Taylor that hasn’t been said so many times. He is a dynamic player, a star athlete, and a smart kid. Taylor has a real shot at leading the Badgers to their first College Playoff at some point in his career.
Next: Wisconsin's College Football Playoff Scenarios
Prediction: 300 rushes, 1850 yards, 15 touchdowns.