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Caleb Taylor commits to Kansas, will live closer to campus

Taylor didn't have Kansas at the top of his list, but saw enough to change his mind
Taylor didn't have Kansas at the top of his list, but saw enough to change his mind

When Caleb Taylor started his visit to Kansas he wasn’t sure what to expect. He had the Jayhawks high on his list but with 15 offers his recruiting was still open.

That all changed once he got on campus and spent time around the coaching staff.

“Going into the visit, I didn't think my interest level with KU was as high as it was with other schools,” Taylor said. “I had the top two or three in my head, but KU was never in the top two. But when I got a feel for campus and got to be around the coaching staff and see how they do things, I completely flipped.”

And it was a big flip.

Taylor went from having Kansas close to the top of his list all the way to leaving a part of the Jayhawks 2020 commitment list.

“The visit was great,” he said. “I got a great feel for the coaching staff. I interacted with the players and it is definitely a family environment up there. You can really tell that. You could feel it. You could feel that there is change coming because Coach Miles and the coaching staff he’s implemented will make that change happen. I just wanted to be a part of that.”

Taylor was in the player’s lounge playing Pop-A-Shot when Miles walked over and stood by him. Then Miles started shooting with Taylor.

“He thinks he beat me,” Taylor said. “That isn’t how it turned out.”

Moments after the two were done competing against each other, Taylor gave everyone the news he was giving his word to play for the Jayhawks.

“They just all started applauding and they got really loud and they made a big thing out of it,” Taylor said. “I appreciated the enthusiasm for me to be here. It's definitely something I won't forget.”

Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot was the lead recruiter for Taylor. On the visit he met Kwahn Drake, who would be his position coach.

“Coach Eliot played a big part in getting me to this point,” he said. “He came out to my school and persistently stayed in contact with me. He's definitely done a lot and without him, I would not be in this positing I'm in right now. I definitely appreciate him and everything he's done.”

At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds Taylor said he expects to play a defensive end in the Jayhawks 3-4 scheme.

Taylor will have a change of address to Kansas City

Instead of heading back to St. Louis, Taylor took a new route home. He went to Kansas City, which will be his new home for his senior season.

The move was already in place before his visit to Kansas. Now he will be a lot closer to Lawrence. Taylor said he plans on attending Staley High.

“It's really nice,” he said. “I definitely will be at every single home game (at KU) I can. I'm already planning that out, what home games I want to come to, where I'm going to be, so being that close to campus is good. I'm only 45 minutes away from my parents and my new house. It definitely played a part in my decision as well.”

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