2024 Season Countdown: #61 Joe Taylor
Name: Joe Taylor
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Chelsea (MI) Chelsea
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #39
Last year: I ranked Taylor #87 and said he would be a backup wide receiver and kick returner (LINK). He made 4 tackles and returned 1 kickoff for 13 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A
Taylor surprisingly appeared on the scene in 2022 as the “other” returner, the guy who lines up deep but opposite of whoever Michigan wants to receive the ball. Most kickers are right-footed and pull the ball to their left to get maximum power, so return teams will often put a guy back on the return team’s left – Michigan’s left in this case – to field the ball just in case the opponent wants to throw a curveball. Maryland tried that in 2021, and it resulted in Michael Barrett – a high school quarterback – throwing it back to A.J. Henning for a touchdown.
For the past two seasons, it’s been Taylor lining up deep, and he has 3 kickoff returns to show for it. One of the speedier players on the team, he also has the willingness – and, let’s be honest, the lack of offensive importance – to get ahead of the returner and throw a block or two. If that other returner is incapable of throwing a block, then he’s just a waste of a body 95% of the time.
But Taylor has also played on coverage units and even recovered an onside kick against Maryland last year. One could probably make an argument to rank Taylor even higher in the countdown since he’s a virtual lock to play a ton of special teams, but there are always bodies for special teams, so I couldn’t really justify ranking him any higher. Still, you will probably see #39 streaking down the field quite a bit this fall.
Prediction: Backup wide receiver and special teamer
