2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 2 Days Part I (Reese Taylor)

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff is in its final days! Just two days stand between Indiana’s first game of the season against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium. Today we will highlight the players wearing the number two jersey this season, Reese Taylor and Jacolby Hewitt.

Reese Taylor (Senior)

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 185 Pounds

Position: Defensive Back

The 2017 Indiana Mr. Football is back for his senior year and aims to make his senior season the best yet. Taylor has played all over the field in his four years with the Hoosiers: wide receiver, running back, cornerback, punt returner, and even a couple weeks as the backup quarterback. Of course, that is nothing new for the stellar athlete that led Ben Davis High School to a 14-0 record and a state championship in 2017 as a quarterback.

Flash forward to college, and Taylor has continued to produce all over the field. Now settled in permanently as a cornerback and punt returner, Taylor has found his role in a dynamic trio at cornerback alongside Tiawan Mullen and Jaylin Williams. He will bring 31 games of experience, 49 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and eight passes defended back to an Indiana defense that led the Big Ten in interceptions last season (17). He also returned nine punts last season for 73 yards, good enough to land him as an honorable mention All-Big Ten return specialist and win IU’s special teams player of the year award.

The experiences of the last three years serve not only as a knowledgebase to draw from, but also as motivation to be even better.

“We had a good season last year and a good season before that, but both bowl games we didn't end it how we wanted to," said Taylor. "It is a chip on our shoulder that we know we didn't finish. We are coming into this season hungrier. We're starving for, not success, but to be the best we can be as a team. Go out there and do the best we can and work as hard as we can."

“We cannot settle for less.”