As West Virginia looks to rebuild its football roster for 2023, it is scouring the transfer portal for some immediate help.
The first two commitments the Mountaineers gained from the portal were cornerback Montre Miller and receiver Ja’Shaun Poke, both from Kent State.
Then on Christmas Day, a third transfer announced his intentions of enrolling at WVU.
Kole Taylor, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound tight end, had spent the past three years at LSU, but on Dec. 8 revealed his decision to leave the Tigers in search of a new college home.
Two and a half weeks later, he found one.
“They had a need for a pass catcher at tight end,†said Taylor of the Mountaineers. “During my visit (to WVU), we watched a lot of film of the things they did with Mike O(‘Laughlin) and what they did at Troy and a lot of things they plan to do. It is a really good fit for me, and it seems like a place where I can thrive.â€
After three seasons with the Tigers, Taylor admitted it wasn’t easy to leave Baton Rouge, but he decided it was the best move for him.
“I made a lot of really good memories at LSU, played in a lot of memorable games. I wouldn’t change anything about my time there, but I felt I needed a fresh start,†Taylor noted. “There was no bad blood leaving there.â€
In his time with the Tigers, Taylor played in 32 games, starting seven of them. While at Louisiana State, he caught 17 passes for 159 yards with one touchdown. This past season, he played in all 13 games for the SEC West champions (9-4), starting twice while hauling in five receptions for 55 yards.
“This last season, I was more the run-blocking tight end,†said Taylor in an interview on the “MetroNews Statewide Sportsline.†“I adapted to it and grew to love it. That’s not necessarily easy for someone 6-foot-7, but I’ve put in the work in the weight room and have gotten bigger and stronger, which helped me become a good run blocker.â€
Taylor was rated one of the nation’s top 10 tight end prospects coming out of Central High School in Grand Junction, Colorado, in the class of 2020. He finished his prep career with 72 catches for 1,084 yards and 18 TDs. Such ability earned him scholarship offers from a couple dozen Power 5 programs, and he also had the academic prowess to gain interest from Ivy League schools as well. He took visits to Arizona State, Washington, Penn State, Missouri and LSU before committing to the Tigers in the summer prior to his senior season at Central.
“Coming out of high school, I was a lengthy tight end, but I was pretty skinny,†he acknowledged, as he weighed 225 pounds before arriving at Louisiana State. “I was mainly a pass catcher in high school, but playing for three years at LSU in the SEC, you learn pretty quickly that you have to be physical and be a good blocker. That’s something I’ve adapted into, and I feel it’s now a strength of my game. I feel I’m still a good pass catcher, so I have a balance of both.â€
With the departures of O’Laughlin and Brian Polendey from West Virginia’s roster, Taylor will join a WVU tight end room that is slated to feature five other scholarship players this coming year – sophomores-to-be Treylan Davis (6-3, 246 lbs.) and Victor Wikstrom (6-4, 258 lbs.), redshirt freshman Will Dixon (6-5, 230 lbs.) and true freshmen Noah Braham (6-2, 225 lbs.) and T.J. Johnson (6-4, 210 lbs.).
“There are already some good dudes in the room, and I’m going to come in and compete with them,†Taylor noted. “I think we’re all going to do our own specific things.â€
Taylor will bring size and plenty of experience to that tight end position for the Mountaineers. Their returning tight ends total barely half of Taylor’s college game reps, and most of those belong to Davis, who played in all 12 games for WVU this past season as well as four in 2021 as a true freshman.
With the need for experience and pass-catching ability at tight end, the Mountaineers searched the portal for someone who could fill those needs. They quickly ID’ed Taylor, setting off a speed-dating courtship.
“It was definitely a crazy process,†Taylor explained. “I put my name in the portal, and pretty much that same day I was talking to three or four different coaches. Throughout that first week, interest grew. I talked to West Virginia very early; they were right on the ball and contacted me fairly early. They were one of the first ones to actually offer me.â€
He didn’t go into the transfer blind, though.
“I got recruited by West Virginia in high school a good bit,†he noted. “Everyone grew up watching Tavon Austin’s mix tape, so I knew about West Virginia through that. I watched them some while I was in college as well, but then I got to know them even better through this recruiting process.
“It was good having been through the recruiting process before,†Taylor concluded. “I was able to take what I learned while being recruited in high school and use it – what I did good and what I did bad – this second time in making the right decision.â€
