Hawk-Item – – One of three true freshmen to see action in 2014.
2017 Honors – – Recipient of Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award . . . Team Hustle Award, defense . . . 2017 – – Started at strong safety in 24-3 win over Wyoming as defense allowed just 233 yards total offense . . . matched career-best with eight tackles vs. Wyoming, including four solo tackles and four assists . . . also had one QB pressure . . . started at strong safety in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State, recording three assisted tackles . . . started at strong safety in 31-14 win over North Texas . . . recorded six tackles vs. North Texas, including four solo tackles and two assists . . . started at strong safety in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State . . . seven tackles vs. Penn State, including six solo stops and one assist . . . started at strong safety in 17-10 loss at Michigan State, recording four solo tackles . . . started at strong safety in 45-16 win over Illinois, recording two solo tackles . . . saw action in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 17-10 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . saw action in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State, recording one solo tackle and two assists . . . started at strong safety in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin . . . recorded seven tackles at Wisconsin, with four solo stops and three assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 24-15 loss to Purdue . . . recorded five tackles vs. Purdue, including four solo stops and one assist . . . started at strong safety in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles in first half at Nebraska before leaving game due to injury . . . did not see action in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College due to injury.
2016 Honors – – Team Hustle Award, defense . . . 2016 – – Saw action in 11 games, with 10 starts at strong safety, while missing two games due to injury . . . recorded 45 tackles, including 29 solo stops and 16 assists . . . started at strong safety in 45-21 win over Miami, recording one solo tackle and two assists . . . started at strong safety in 42-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists vs. ISU . . . started at strong safety in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State . . . seven tackles vs. NDSU, including for solo stops and three assists . . . started at strong safety in 14-7 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . matched career-best with eight tackles at Rutgers, including five solo stops and three assists, along with one tackle for loss . . . started at strong safety in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, recording six solo tackles . . . started at strong safety in 14-7 win at Minnesota, recording two solo tackles and one assist as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . started at strong safety in 49-35 win at Purdue, recording three solo tackles and one assist as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . started at strong safety in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin . . . recorded six tackles vs. Wisconsin, including four solo tackles and two assists . . . started at strong safety in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State, recording three solo tackles and two assists . . . started at strong safety in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan, but left the game after being injured early in the first quarter and did not return . . . did not see action in 28-0 win at Illinois due to injury . . . did not see action in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska due to injury . . . saw action in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, but had no statistics.
2015 Honors – – Team Hustle Award, defense . . . 2015 – – Started all 14 games at strong safety . . . collected 69 tackles, including 38 solo stops and 31 assists . . . recovered one fumble and had one interception . . . started at strong safety in 31-14 win over Illinois State, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense . . . started at strong safety in 31-17 win at Iowa State as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . recorded career-high five tackles at ISU, including three solo tackles and two assists . . . started at strong safety in 27-24 win over Pitt as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . career-best seven tackles vs. Pitt, including five solo stops and two assists . . . saw very limited action in 62-16 win over North Texas due to injury, and had no statistics . . . started at strong safety in 10-6 win at Wisconsin as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . matched career-best seven tackles at Wisconsin, including three solo tackles and four assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 29-20 win over Illinois, recording three solo tackles as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . started at strong safety in 40-10 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and three assists vs. Northwestern, along with one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 31-15 win over Maryland . . . led team with career-best eight tackles, including four solo stops and four assists . . . recorded first interception of career with a 12 yard return, and also had first recovered fumble . . . started at strong safety in 35-27 win at Indiana, recording one solo tackle, two assists and one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 40-35 win over Minnesota . . . matched career-best with eight tackles vs. Minnesota, including four solo stops, four assists and one tackle for loss . . . started at strong safety in 40-20 win over Purdue, recording four solo tackles . . . started at strong safety in 28-20 win at Nebraska, recording six assisted tackles . . . started at strong safety in 16-13 loss to Michigan State . . . six tackles vs. MSU, including three solo stops and three assists, including one QB sack and a shared tackle for loss . . . started at strong safety in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford . . . led team with career-best seven solo tackles vs. Stanford, including one tackle for loss, and one pass break-up.
2014 – – Saw action in all 13 games, recording four solo tackles and four assists . . . saw first action of action of career in 31-23 win over Northern Iowa, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 17-13 win over Ball State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just two field goals and 219 yards total offense . . . saw action in 20-17 loss to Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-20 win at Pittsburgh, but had no statistics as defense allowed just three points in the second half . . . saw action in 24-10 win at Purdue as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . saw action in 45-29 win over Indiana, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 38-31 loss at Maryland, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 48-7 win over Northwestern as defense allowed just 180 yards total offense . . . career-best four tackles vs. Northwestern, including one solo tackle and three assists . . . saw action in loss at Minnesota, recording two solo tackles and one assist . . . saw action in 30-14 win at Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 88 net rushing yards and 235 yards total offense . . . saw action in 26-24 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee, recording one solo tackle.
High school honors – – First team all-conference and all-metro as a senior . . . selected to compete in Chesapeake Bowl following senior year . . . second team all-conference and honorable mention all-metro as a junior . . . honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore . . . Career – – Three-year football starter and letterman . . . first player at high school to be two-time defensive MVP (junior and senior) . . . led team in tackles as a junior and senior . . . team advanced to state championship game as a junior . . . recorded 86 tackles, eight pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries and one sack as a senior, along with three interceptions and one touchdowns . . . collected 85 tackles as a junior, with 11 pass break-ups, three sacks, three fumble recoveries and four interceptions as a junior . . . recorded 35 tackles and six pass break-ups as a sophomore . . . team captain as a senior . . . also competed for prep basketball team.
Personal – – Born 12/14/95 . . . open major . . . parents are Audrey and Chuck Taylor . . . 3.3 GPA as a prep . . . brother of LB Kyle Taylor . . . one of four sets of brothers on Iowa roster . . . high school coach was Aaron Brady.