The college football season in Texas starts a week earlier than normal with a Week 0 matchup between North Texas and UTEP. To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas every day until Aug. 27. The list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best, though talent plays a major factor in most important. 

No. 47: Gabe Taylor, Rice sophomore safety 

The History

Gabe Taylor is building his own legacy as an opportunistic and high IQ member of Rice’s sneaky awesome secondary. The playmaking safety is the younger brother of the late, great Sean Taylor. And like his older brother, Gabe Taylor is always around the football. Taylor was second on the team in 2021 with three interceptions and five pass breakups. He also forced and recovered one fumble on top of 56 tackles. Taylor was the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 25 after a career-high 10-tackle performance in an upset win over UAB. 

A product of Gulliver Prep in Miami, Taylor was the highest-rated recruit signed by Rice in the 247 era. He was the Class 4A-1A Male Athlete of the Year as awarded by the Miami Herald after his senior season in 2019. It was his only year of playing high school football after spending his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons concentrating on basketball. 

He played sparingly in 2020 as the pandemic tanked most of Rice’s season. He made his first career start against Southern Miss that year. 

The Skillset 

The 5-10, 190-pound Taylor isn’t as big as his big brother, but he covers enough ground to make opponents think there are two of him on the field. His ability to be in the right spot at the right time isn’t luck, and his penchant for making plays in key moments isn’t either. Taylor is a willing tackler who plays bigger than his frame suggests. He’s also capable in man-coverage against tight ends and bigger wide receivers. Add in the fact that Taylor’s only played three years of football beyond the eighth grade and his potential is through the roof. He’s only scratching the surface on his abilities as a defensive back.  

The Impact 

More people need to list the Rice secondary amongst the best units in the state, at least the G5 level. Taylor and a healthy George Nyawkwol form a formidable pair on the backend of Rice’s defense. Jordan Dunbar and Sean Fresch return at cornerback. Taylor is the wildcard who can help in run defense or be the ballhawk in the deep half of the secondary. He’s the playmaker. And he’s only going to be better in 2022 after a full season of starting at the college level. The loss of Naeem Smith to graduation puts an even bigger emphasis on Taylor’s role in the Rice secondary. 

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