Michigan football was long in the JaDon Blair sweepstakes, but the four-star safety ended up committing to the rival Notre Dame. But the Wolverines may have the last laugh.
2025 Winter Garden (Florida) West Orange four-star safety Ivan Taylor is rated higher than Blair across the board, but there’s just one small problem: He’s been committed to the Irish since December. However, Taylor officially visited Ann Arbor for Victors Weekend, and it turned out that Ann Arbor was a better destination for him than South Bend.
A few weeks after his official visit, Taylor ended up switching to maize and blue.
Here’s how Taylor ranks according to recruiting services:
|
* |
About. |
Pos. |
Holy. |
|
|
247 Sports Compound |
4 |
50 |
5 |
8 |
|
On3 Industry Classification |
4 |
58 |
6 |
8 |
|
247 Sports |
4 |
41 |
two |
5 |
|
Em3 |
4 |
132 |
14 |
21 |
|
ESPN |
4 |
41 |
5 |
5 |
|
Rivals |
4 |
102 |
11 |
20 |
247Sports’ Andrew Ivins scouting report:
A high-IQ safety prospect with elite NFL bloodlines and a top-notch testing profile. He measured in at about 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds in the spring before his junior campaign, clocking a 4.5-second effort in the 40-yard dash that day to go along with a 4.25-second short shuttle. Feet quick and very agile. He spent most of his prep career working in a dual system and has shown he can get where he needs to be. He’s competitive at the point and does a good job of turning his head to find the ball. A solid defender in the open field at this stage, who will throw through his legs and get the ball to the ground. However, it needs to improve a bit to get out of blocks and filter traffic. Eventually, he will need to add some bulk and improve his play strength, but he should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter for a top-25 program. He’s likely to find a home in the third level of the defense, but sticky enough in man coverage possibly warrants a look as an inside corner on Saturdays.
It’s not the first time in recent memory that Michigan has tipped a Notre Dame safety. Two years ago, Brandyn Hillman signed his letter of intent but transferred to the Wolverines — and now he’s looking for a bigger role in his second year with the program.
Taylor also received offers from Alabama, FloridaFlorida State, Miami, Penn State, USCand others.
