The bloodlines are unquestioned, the future extremely bright.
LSU’s latest football commitment – the 16th in its current Class of 2022 – came Thursday from four-star tight end Mason Taylor of St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. – son of former Miami Dolphins great and Hall of Famer and 6-time Pro Bowler, Jason Taylor.
“He loves it,” Taylor told 247Sports.com of his dad’s opinion of his school choice. “He wanted me in the SEC because that’s where the competition is and that’s how you get better.”
With LSU facing a shortage of scholarship tight ends this season, the Tigers have know picked up two commitments from two of the nation’s top players at the position.
Four-star Jake Johnson, the younger brother of LSU quarterback Max Johnson, was LSU’s first tight end pledge to help the Tigers bolster the position. They gained additional help from the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Taylor, who had 22 scholarship offers, when he selected the Tigers over Florida, Alabama, West Virginia, Texas A&M, Pitt and Miami.
Taylor’s official visits were to Florida and Pitt, while taking unofficial trips to LSU and Miami.
His trip to Baton Rouge took place in late June, parlaying a workout with coaches into a scholarship June 22.
“It’s just the whole program and the history of them winning,” Taylor said. “The coaching staff is also on me 24/7. I love the fans and the campus. I love the atmosphere and the stadium. It’s just a great all-around school and it feels like the place to be for the next few years.”
Taylor’s the nation’s No. 208 overall prospect by Rivals.com which also ranks him as the nation’s sixth best tight end and No. 27 prospect in Florida.
He also helped boost LSU’s team recruiting rankings No. 3 according to both 247Sports and Rivals where the Tigers leapfrogged from fifth ahead of Alabama.
“He’s a physical specimen with an NFL pedigree,” St. Thomas Aquinas football coach Roger Harriott told 247Sports. “Mason’s intelligence, character, football acumen, size, strength, athleticism, and love for the game have enabled him to procure national prospect attention with an extremely promising future. He possesses the ability to make a substantial impact in all three phases of the game as a tight end, defensive end and versatile special teams players. In my opinion, Mason’s most impressive attribute is his social-emotional ability to lead with passion and authority. His best days are ahead of him.”
St. Thomas Aquinas, where Jason Taylor is the team’s defensive coordinator, is a Florida powerhouse in Class 7A where they’ve won the state’s last two state championships, going 23-1 over that span.
The program’s also produced LSU signees in offensive lineman Marcus Dumervil and Marlon Martinez and has four-star offensive lineman Julian Armella, who has LSU among his finalists.
Taylor overcame a season-long injury in 2020 to play in STA’s last five games of the season. He finished with six catches for 133 yards (22.2 yards per catch) and was still named to the Miami Herald’s first team All-Broward County team.
“It’s a big step, but I’m here for the challenge and I’m ready for it,” said Taylor, who is also the nephew of former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas.
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