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2022 St. Thomas (FL) TE Mason Taylor recently learned he had earned an offer from the Miami Hurricanes after his head coach, Roger Harriott, informed him that RB coach Eric Hickson and TE coach Stephen Field decided to extend him the bid.
“I was on the way to training when I found out - I’m just really excited because I grew up down here and I’ve always liked the Canes and how they use their tight ends,” Taylor said. “I love the program and I’d love to learn more about it.”
Of course, the Hurricanes are a program that is well-known for their use of the tight end, and Taylor liked what he saw from the position in Rhett Lashlee’s first season as offensive coordinator.
“I watched them this season, they have basically the perfect type of offense for me,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen (Brevin) Jordan and (Will) Mallory, they use them in the run game, the pass game. So I really like a program that does that, they’re ‘Tight End U’. It definitely has me more interested knowing how many tight ends they’ve sent to the NFL.”
Last January, the 6’5” 230-pound prospect was able to visit the UM campus for a junior day event and Taylor detailed how the experience in Coral Gables went from his perspective.
“I got to see the campus," Taylor said. "They brought us through the indoor facilities, the meeting rooms, gave us a talk on how they watch film. Overall, it’s a very nice campus and I really like it.”
Mason also has the benefits of strong football bloodlines, as his father is Jason Taylor, a 13-year NFL defensive end with the Miami Dolphins who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. As Jason has been where Mason wants to go in playing in the NFL at a high level, Mason has an unbelievable mentor to lean on right in his home every day.
“My dad gives me his experience, stuff he’s done before, blocking-wise and things like that,” Mason said. “He teaches me how to block a D-End, what moves they’ll do. He also tells me to stay humble and stay hungry, he gives me tips and words of wisdom.”
With Jason being a local legend in South Florida, he stayed to raise his family in the area and become the defensive coordinator at St. Thomas. After all that time spent in South Florida, Mason says his dad has grown an affinity for the hometown Hurricanes.
“My dad talks about [Miami] a lot, he tells me it’s a really good school, especially for tight ends,” Mason said.
Jason and Mason aren’t the only football talents in the family, though – Mason’s older brother and teammate Isaiah is a safety prospect in the 2021 class committed to Arizona, and he is expected to sign with the Wildcats in February.
“We haven’t talked about playing with each other, I’ll probably just do what’s best for me,” Mason said of Isaiah. “But our connection is really good – I’m with him every day, we work out together every day after school. We’re just really close.”
As for the rest of Mason’s recruitment, it is still in the early stages right now, but he has a plan for how he sees it playing out. Aside from Miami, Taylor has made no other visits, but hopes to see some other schools this spring once the dead period ends in April.
“Pitt has offered me, so has Syracuse and Illinois, Georgia Tech has been showing some interest,” Taylor said. “Right now, my recruitment is fully open, but probably by the start of the season, I’ll have a top group, and by the end of the season I’ll have my final decision.”
As a junior in 2020, Taylor fought through injury to help provide running lanes for the Raiders’ dynamic running attack on their way to an 8-1 season and a state title, but he was also able to show some skills as a pass catcher as well.
“I felt like I did good,” Taylor said of his junior season. “I was out the first two games because I tore the labrum in my shoulder, so I only had a seven game season. I had about 12 receptions for 190 yards. Our team didn’t really throw the ball, we have Anthony Hankerson in the backfield, he’s a really, really good running back so we love to ground and pound. But I love blocking, stretching out, so it’s fun.”
Over the offseason, Taylor has identified a few areas of improvement that he’s trying to work on to take his game to the next level.
“My mindset is to stay humble and stay hungry, don’t let anything get to my head. Use this offseason to be great,” Taylor said. “I got the blocking down, so just getting faster, working on routes.”
What will Taylor be looking for in a program when it is time to make his decision?
“I’m looking for a place that will use my position on the field, that’s pretty much it.”
“I was on the way to training when I found out - I’m just really excited because I grew up down here and I’ve always liked the Canes and how they use their tight ends,” Taylor said. “I love the program and I’d love to learn more about it.”
Of course, the Hurricanes are a program that is well-known for their use of the tight end, and Taylor liked what he saw from the position in Rhett Lashlee’s first season as offensive coordinator.
“I watched them this season, they have basically the perfect type of offense for me,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen (Brevin) Jordan and (Will) Mallory, they use them in the run game, the pass game. So I really like a program that does that, they’re ‘Tight End U’. It definitely has me more interested knowing how many tight ends they’ve sent to the NFL.”
Last January, the 6’5” 230-pound prospect was able to visit the UM campus for a junior day event and Taylor detailed how the experience in Coral Gables went from his perspective.
“I got to see the campus," Taylor said. "They brought us through the indoor facilities, the meeting rooms, gave us a talk on how they watch film. Overall, it’s a very nice campus and I really like it.”
Mason also has the benefits of strong football bloodlines, as his father is Jason Taylor, a 13-year NFL defensive end with the Miami Dolphins who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. As Jason has been where Mason wants to go in playing in the NFL at a high level, Mason has an unbelievable mentor to lean on right in his home every day.
“My dad gives me his experience, stuff he’s done before, blocking-wise and things like that,” Mason said. “He teaches me how to block a D-End, what moves they’ll do. He also tells me to stay humble and stay hungry, he gives me tips and words of wisdom.”
With Jason being a local legend in South Florida, he stayed to raise his family in the area and become the defensive coordinator at St. Thomas. After all that time spent in South Florida, Mason says his dad has grown an affinity for the hometown Hurricanes.
“My dad talks about [Miami] a lot, he tells me it’s a really good school, especially for tight ends,” Mason said.
Jason and Mason aren’t the only football talents in the family, though – Mason’s older brother and teammate Isaiah is a safety prospect in the 2021 class committed to Arizona, and he is expected to sign with the Wildcats in February.
“We haven’t talked about playing with each other, I’ll probably just do what’s best for me,” Mason said of Isaiah. “But our connection is really good – I’m with him every day, we work out together every day after school. We’re just really close.”
As for the rest of Mason’s recruitment, it is still in the early stages right now, but he has a plan for how he sees it playing out. Aside from Miami, Taylor has made no other visits, but hopes to see some other schools this spring once the dead period ends in April.
“Pitt has offered me, so has Syracuse and Illinois, Georgia Tech has been showing some interest,” Taylor said. “Right now, my recruitment is fully open, but probably by the start of the season, I’ll have a top group, and by the end of the season I’ll have my final decision.”
As a junior in 2020, Taylor fought through injury to help provide running lanes for the Raiders’ dynamic running attack on their way to an 8-1 season and a state title, but he was also able to show some skills as a pass catcher as well.
“I felt like I did good,” Taylor said of his junior season. “I was out the first two games because I tore the labrum in my shoulder, so I only had a seven game season. I had about 12 receptions for 190 yards. Our team didn’t really throw the ball, we have Anthony Hankerson in the backfield, he’s a really, really good running back so we love to ground and pound. But I love blocking, stretching out, so it’s fun.”
Over the offseason, Taylor has identified a few areas of improvement that he’s trying to work on to take his game to the next level.
“My mindset is to stay humble and stay hungry, don’t let anything get to my head. Use this offseason to be great,” Taylor said. “I got the blocking down, so just getting faster, working on routes.”
What will Taylor be looking for in a program when it is time to make his decision?
“I’m looking for a place that will use my position on the field, that’s pretty much it.”
