Senior Send Off: DL Calvin Taylor

With the 2019 college football season in the books for Kentucky, Cats Illustrated starts cranking out offseason analysis right away.

One of the series you'll read, starting here, is CI's Senior Send Off. One by one, we'll be breaking down the seasons and careers of Kentucky's outgoing seniors, recalling their recruitments and contributions to the program and summarizing what they meant to Kentucky football.

First up, Calvin Taylor.

Recruiting History

Talk about a sleeper. During the Class of 2015 recruiting cycle, Kentucky had to deal with a dozen decommitments. That class ultimately turned out to be one of Mark Stoops' best by production, but it was largely unexpected. The biggest "sleeper" from the class is Josh Allen, a three-star with an offer from Monmouth who developed into a first round pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars. But Calvin Taylor was a mega-sleeper in his own right. He didn't sign with Kentucky until after National Signing Day, in late March, seizing an opportunity that opened up late.

The 6'9, 265-pound prospect was listed as an offensive tackle recruit and a two-star prospect who was regarded as a developmental player and a potential diamond in the rough that would take plenty of time to round into form.

Taylor didn't play football in junior high or until his sophomore year in high school after first being introduced the sport when he was much younger. Also a basketball player, Indiana and Temple were among the other schools that were interested in Taylor, who was prioritizing faith and community as he sought out the school he would call home.

Also a basketball player in high school, Taylor got in contact with UK defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh very late in the process and didn't even visit Kentucky until the tail end of his recruitment.

PFF Grades

As a senior Taylor graded out as one of Kentucky's top overall players with an 80.6 PFF grade. That was bolstered by a 76.7 run defense grade and a 79.0 pass rush grade. He was credited with 24 hurries and 21 "stops" which are a way of describing tackles that result in a "win" for the defense. In addition to his 8.5 sacks he put six additional hits on the quarterback.

Taylor posted PFF grades of 73.6 in 2018 and 73.9 in 2017, meaning he was one of Kentucky's most consistent defensive players for three consecutive seasons.

How He'll Be Remembered

Taylor's career can be summarized as a player who overachieved significantly relative to the low expectations he arrived with. While he was regarded as a developmental prospect who might require a long period of seasoning before he was ready to contribute, he actually started making contributions relatively early in his college career. Derrick Leblanc once referred to Taylor as "Mr. Consistency" in an interview with Cats Illustrated, but Taylor turned into a bona fide star as a senior.

How He'll Be Replaced

It won't be easy. Kentucky's strength on the defensive line in 2020 figures to be right up the middle, where the 'Cats return Quinton Bohanna, Marquan McCall, and Jerquavion Mahone. Kentucky also brings in a lot of defensive tackle talent. His departure opens the door for players like Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald and Davoan Hawkins to see a substantial increase in playing time. Those players got a fair amount of experience this year but they will need to make a big step forward to help replace Taylor's production and consistent disruptiveness.