Cornerback Robert Taylor officially pledged to Washington State today, as he faxed in his national letter of intent to join the Cougars this fall. Taylor spent one season at the City College of San Francisco after transferring from UC Davis the year before.
Taylor is ranked as a composite three-star prospect by 247Sports and is one of many defensive backs recruited to the Palouse by Alex Grinch. Taylor held scholarship offers from West Virginia and Purdue, but kept his commitment with Washington State after his official visit back in early December. He's listed at the 19th best cornerback in the country and the 50th best recruit out of California by 247Sports.
Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 180 pounds, Taylor provides immediate help and depth to a much improved Cougar secondary. It will be interesting to see if Washington State decides to redshirt Taylor to get him more acclimated with Division I football or if they will let him compete for a job this fall. Marcellus Pippins and Darrien Molton are coming off a strong 2015 season, while Charleston White and Kirkland Parker both had an up-and-down type of year, so there is a spot to be won if Taylor is not given a redshirt.
Taylor also returned punts for CC of San Francisco, as seen in his highlights below. The Cougars are still looking for their first punt return touchdown since Michael Bumpus did it in 2005, so add his name to the likes of Gabe Marks, Kyrin Priester, Tavares Martin and Kaleb Possum, all of whom could all return punts for Washington State in 2016.
Brian Anderson's quick scouting take
A crazy-dynamic ball hawk from free safety. Was most impressive reading the QB in zone, but showed great press coverage as well. Absolutely brutal finisher too. Should be able to compete right away for the safety spot vacated by Taylor Taliulu. As a return man, he's got a fantastic one-cut quickness that he deploys without losing speed and does extremely well in traffic.
Rankings
Rivals - ★★★
Scout - NR
24/7 - ★★★
ESPN - ★★★
Composite - ★★★
Measurables (via 247 Sports)
Position - Cornerback
Hometown - Antioch, Calif.
Height - 5-foot-11
Weight - 180 pounds