Just wanted to keep everyone up to date on the latest with AJ Taylor (@aj_taylor2016), one of K-State's top wants for the 2016 class.
I've been trying to lock AJ down for an interview for a while, but getting ahold of him lately has been quite a challenge. His phone is either off or he doesn't answer and his voicemail is full. He also hasn't been responding to text messages. It's all very out of character for him, so my guess is he's just trying to keep his head straight and focus. After all, he has a decision to make in about two weeks.
Through people I've spoken with who have connections to AJ, his choice may already be set. From the sounds of things, AJ may be Wisconsin's to lose. I know he was highly impressed with his visit there and we all know the Badgers have a lot of tradition and recent success to sell AJ on from an offensive standpoint- particularly at running back.
I do believe K-State and Missouri (maybe even Iowa) remain on his mind, but there appears to be more questions than answers from AJ's perspective when it comes to those (i.e.- Will he fit in Manhattan? Will Snyder stick around? How will he consistently be involved in the offense? etc. etc.)
We'll continue to keep an eye on things and work AJ for any additional details leading up to his decision on August 1st, but the Badgers may be pulling away.
** Sidenote - This is just my opinion, but it's my belief that touches play a significant role with AJ, whether he admits that or not. We've all heard how Mizzou has experimented with the idea of moving AJ to defense while K-State is exploring ways to incorporate his full skill set at receiver. Wisconsin though seems to be sticking AJ in the backfield and, I think, that's personally where he wants to be. He'll be fully incorporated more regularly at running back and, especially at Wisconsin, would have the ball in his hands an awful lot. If you follow AJ on Twitter as well, it's been easy to see the changes he's made to his body this offseason- stacking on muscle like a machine. Just another sign in my mind that he's gearing up for the wear and tear of the running back position. **
I've been trying to lock AJ down for an interview for a while, but getting ahold of him lately has been quite a challenge. His phone is either off or he doesn't answer and his voicemail is full. He also hasn't been responding to text messages. It's all very out of character for him, so my guess is he's just trying to keep his head straight and focus. After all, he has a decision to make in about two weeks.
Through people I've spoken with who have connections to AJ, his choice may already be set. From the sounds of things, AJ may be Wisconsin's to lose. I know he was highly impressed with his visit there and we all know the Badgers have a lot of tradition and recent success to sell AJ on from an offensive standpoint- particularly at running back.
I do believe K-State and Missouri (maybe even Iowa) remain on his mind, but there appears to be more questions than answers from AJ's perspective when it comes to those (i.e.- Will he fit in Manhattan? Will Snyder stick around? How will he consistently be involved in the offense? etc. etc.)
We'll continue to keep an eye on things and work AJ for any additional details leading up to his decision on August 1st, but the Badgers may be pulling away.
** Sidenote - This is just my opinion, but it's my belief that touches play a significant role with AJ, whether he admits that or not. We've all heard how Mizzou has experimented with the idea of moving AJ to defense while K-State is exploring ways to incorporate his full skill set at receiver. Wisconsin though seems to be sticking AJ in the backfield and, I think, that's personally where he wants to be. He'll be fully incorporated more regularly at running back and, especially at Wisconsin, would have the ball in his hands an awful lot. If you follow AJ on Twitter as well, it's been easy to see the changes he's made to his body this offseason- stacking on muscle like a machine. Just another sign in my mind that he's gearing up for the wear and tear of the running back position. **
Last edited:
