It was a good thing Darius Taylor did his homework because the subject matter was attentively sitting right in front of him.
At Big Ten Media Days last week, the current Gophers running back was placed at an interview podium, and legendary former U tailback Darrell Thompson there to listen in the second row. Seeing the past and present a few feet apart, the Pioneer Press asked Taylor what he knew about his famous predecessor.
“He’s a dog,” Taylor said of Thompson. “He had all the records right before Mo (Ibrahim). It’s really cool how he was the top dog right before Mo got in. Mo is a great player, too. We have a long history of great running backs and (I’m) trying to keep it going.”
Taylor passed the quiz.
And here’s a refresher for those at home: Thompson became the Gophers all-time leading rusher with 4,654 total yards in 1989; and Ibrahim broke that mark in 2022 with 4,668. Then last fall, Taylor got on the board with 799 rushing yards. It stands as fifth-best freshman total in program history behind leader Thompson (1,376) and runner-up Ibrahim (1,160).
The few hundred-yard gap was primarily due to Taylor playing only six total games last season due to injuries, while Thompson played 12 and Ibrahim 10 in their first seasons.
With 133 rushing yards per game, Taylor would have led the nation in that category, but he didn’t play in enough games to be eligible by NCAA criteria. He also was the only Big Ten running back to average more than 100 yards per game last fall, but again was sidelined during spring practices.
Throughout the offseason, Taylor focused on taking care of his body with the help of the U’s sports scientists, athletic trainers and nutritionalists “to make sure he has a really healthy 2024 and do everything he possibly can,” head coach P.J. Fleck said.
“That is like being a pro early,” Taylor said. “They always tell me I need to become a pro right now, before I even go to the pros because I have to understand the things I will have to do at that time. That will ultimately lead me there.”
After catching 11 passes for 92 yards a year ago, Taylor is expected to have a bigger role in the passing game with new transfer quarterback Max Brosmer. Both have done it in the past: Brosmer at New Hampshire, and Taylor as a high school receiver at Walled Lake Western in Michigan.
“He’s really big into getting through his progression,” Taylor said of Brosmer. “I think that he takes what’s there. I like that. He will throw the check down if it’s there. I like that he has that in his game.”
Part of keeping Taylor healthy is managing his work load. That Gophers fans know that will be a challenge for Fleck, who so often relies on one primary ball carrier over divvying up touches to a few players. Outside of Taylor’s one carry for three yards in the season opener against Nebraska, Taylor really played in five games and rushed at least 31 times in three of them. He was injured in the Iowa game before he could reach that total again.
The Gophers brought in two transfer running backs — Sieh Bangura (Ohio) and Marcus Major (Oklahoma) — who appear to be among the most likely candidates to share the workload. Taylor said he gets the sense it will be more of a “committee backfield” this fall.
“I think that (Marcus) and Sieh would be a great addition to the team and we still have Jojo (Jordan Nubin),” Taylor said. “Jojo is probably one of the hardest, if not the hardest, working running back in the room. He knows everything and is ready to play at the drop of a hat.”
On the field, Taylor wants to do a better job of making would-be tacklers miss in the open field. “That is something that I personally want to do to change my game and elevate it,” Taylor said.
Thompson, the color commentator on Gophers radio broadcasts, liked a lot of what Taylor showed in his first season. Thompson told Taylor that directly during that media session at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“I like the balance. I like the acceleration. I do like your open field running,” Thompson said. “You already do a good job of closing down the distance before making a cut. He does a lot of it. It will all get better. It’s hard to go from high school to a freshman in college. He did a great job already and this year will be better. He know what is coming.”
Taylor responded with a laugh and said: “I know exactly what is coming.”
Thompson and Taylor also have gotten to know each other privately. Taylor has even referred to himself as “DT,” which has long been Thompson’s nickname.
Taylor also knows about Thompson’s youth mentoring organization, Bolder Options, and has looked int volunteering there.
“That is something I want to work with,” Taylor said. “I haven’t gotten around to it fully, but that’s definitely something that I’m looking to work into my schedule and get with those kids. I’ve been trying to do some of my own things as well.”
The fall, one of Taylor’s primary football goals is staying on the field and continuing to close the yardage gaps on Thompson and Ibrahim.
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