An Ohio State wide receiver target in the 2025 class showcased why he’s merited so much interest from Brian Hartline, Chip Kelly and other Ohio State coaches on Sunday.
Performing at the Under Armour Next Camp in Canton, four-star Illinois prospect Talyn Taylor displayed smooth route running and solid hands competing against skilled defensive backs, earning his billing of being a top-115 prospect in the 2025 class.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Taylor has been on the Buckeyes’ radar since November when he was offered by Hartline and Ryan Day after he visited Columbus for the Buckeyes’ win against Minnesota. He returned to campus in the spring to attend a spring practice and said he and Ohio State quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair got to chat briefly. The pair have stayed connected on social media. Taylor has also stayed connected with Ohio State’s coaching staff and has seen those relationships grow even further.
“It’s great,” Taylor said of his relationship with Hartline. “I talk with him every week I would say. Really every three days. It’s great. Coach Day, I just saw him, he was at (the Under Armour event on Sunday), he said what’s up to me and that was nice. Coach Chip Kelly, he recruited me at UCLA and then when he came here it’s been great. I went to a spring practice and saw his offensive mind, it was (impressive).”
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Taylor is considered the 112th-best player and the No. 13 wide receiver. OSU only has one wide receiver committed for 2025 (De’zie Jones) but could take between three and five wideouts if Hartline feels the fit is there.
In his junior year, Taylor caught 32 passes for 512 yards and six touchdowns. He also was an efficient passer on occasion, as he completed 10 of 13 passes for 150 yards and four touchdowns while also returning kickoffs and punts. As a sophomore, he had 45 catches for 660 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 22.1 yards on seven kickoff returns.
“He said he primarily sees me as an outside guy,” Taylor said of how Hartline sees his skillset translating to the next level. “But he also said he could see me as a guy that could play in the slot and outside.”
One of the most appealing things to Taylor about potentially playing for Ohio State is the Buckeyes’ wide receiver developmental track record. The program’s recent success in the NFL draft hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Illinois product.
“It helps a lot, man,” Taylor said. “Especially with coach Hartline, seeing his track record with guys like Garrett Wilson. He’s the NFL Rookie of The Year. They’ve produced a whole bunch of other wide receivers too. They also have Jeremiah Smith right now. He’s only 18 years old but (he’s impressive) and still has a long way to go.”
As of now, Taylor said he’s set official visits to Georgia (May 31-June 2), Notre Dame (June 14) and Ohio State (June 21-23).
“I’m looking at how the commits are when I’m there,” Taylor said about what he’ll be looking for on his official visits. “I want to see how we bond together. I also want to see the current team and how they bond together. I’ll ask the players on the roster about how they really like it here and ask them the real questions to find out if I want to go there.”
Taylor says ideally he’d like to make a commitment sometime between the end of June and the beginning of July when he finishes his official visits.
“What I’m looking for in a school is development,” Taylor said of the most important factors in his recruitment. “That’s everywhere, really. But I’d also like to go somewhere where I’d get an opportunity to play early. The sooner the better, in my opinion. Definitely also somewhere that has stable coaching.”
