Over the course of the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the top names to know in the 2018 class These players either have an offer or significant interest from Tennessee and seem to have at least some interest in the Vols in return.
Athlete Alontae Taylor
6-0, 178 pounds
Manchester, Tenn. (Coffee County Central)
Early top offers: Tennessee (committed), Florida, Louisville, Ole Miss
Early rankings:
247Sports: ★★★★
ESPN.com: ★★★★
Rivals.com: ★★★★
Scout.com: ★★★★
Scouting report: Taylor plays quarterback at Coffee County Central in Manchester, Tenn., but don’t expect to see him lining up under center with any regularity when he comes to Tennessee. While he makes a few good throws in his film, he’s an “athlete” all the way and he primarily plays quarterback for his high school team so he can get the ball in his hands quickly to make plays with his feet.
He’s run for over 4,500 yards and 53 touchdowns through three seasons in high school. The big question will be how that athleticism translates at the next level. Receiver or defensive back seem to be the two most likely options for him. Tennessee needs help at both in the coming years.
With his natural vision and ball-carrying skills that can clearly be seen on film, he very well could be a good fit on offense, perhaps playing in the slot in a role similar to how Tennessee’s used Pig Howard and Tyler Byrd at times. He can run routes out of the slot, motion into the backfield and take a handoff, or even take a direct snap if needed with his quarterback background.
Ranked as high as a top-100 player nationally (ESPN), Taylor has the kind of athleticism that you take and figure it all out once he’s on campus. He could certainly help Tennessee in a variety of ways in a few years.
