Wisconsin Football Player Spotlight: Junior WR A.J. Taylor

A.J. Taylor is one of the more experienced receivers that make up Wisconsin’s deep receiver group.

There’s been a ton of buzz about Wisconsin football this summer for many reasons. The whole offensive line returns, Jonathan Taylor is a Heisman contender, Alex Hornibrook is making a name for himself, and recruiting is going great. There isn’t much the Badgers could be doing better. But one of the most underrated parts of the team is the talented group of wide receivers. Of them, I think A.J. Taylor deserves more love.

Recruiting

Taylor was a four-star athlete from Missouri. Wisconsin beat out Missouri and Notre Dame, among others, for his services. He committed in a very unusual way, but it didn’t matter to Wisconsin. Taylor was somebody that could be a weapon early in the Badgers’ system.

His freshman year wasn’t much to talk about. He only caught three passes and hardly saw the field. But it was clear to those in and around the program that he could make a significant leap as a sophomore.

Last year

Taylor only caught 31 passes last year and no more than three in a single game until the Orange Bowl. There, he caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. By far his best performance of the season. His second best game came against Michigan where he hauled in three passes for 79 yards and a touchdown that put Wisconsin in the lead for good over the Wolverines.

Taylor fought against the run-heavy style of play and some other underclassmen for targets, but was always ready when his name was called. He showed great separation skills and was never afraid to compete for a ball. As a junior, he’ll be looked at as one of the leaders in his position group.

Looking ahead

My favorite part of Taylor’s game is how he works down the field to stretch the defense. He’s capable of lining up in the slot and is athletic enough to run several routes. He’ll face the typical uphill climb as a receiver in Wisconsin’s system, but he won’t need to put up monstrous numbers to be impactful. He showed up huge in two of the biggest games of the year for the Badgers, against Michigan and Miami, and I expect him to be leaned on in key situations again. Taylor also adds some value to the team as a kick return man. That’s something to keep an eye on as well.

Taylor should improve on all of his numbers from last year and play well alongside Danny Davis and Quintez Cephus forming one of the most underrated wide receiver trios in the nation.