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After UT visit, Coffee Co. QB picks Vanderbilt

Coffee County sophomore quarterback Alontae Taylor was in Knoxville last weekend as Tennessee played Arkansas.

But he had Vanderbilt on his mind.

“I was in Knoxville (on a non-official visit) and listening to the score (of the Vanderbilt-MTSU football game), and everyone was saying Vanderbilt was going to lose to MTSU,” said Taylor, ranked fifth in Tennessee and 94th in the nation among sophomores by 247Sports. “After Vanderbilt won, I saw Coach (Derek) Mason talking to players in the locker room and the excitement they had. It showed that a win doesn’t have to be pretty.”

Vanderbilt logo

Vanderbilt logo

On Tuesday Taylor decided, despite having two more full seasons of high school football left, to make his college decision and committed to Vanderbilt.

“I thought it was time,” said Taylor, one of the top dual threats in the area. “Vanderbilt showed a lot of love to me, and they offer a good education. When they first offered, I looked at their physical therapist program, and it was high. That’s what I want to major in.”

The sophomore has received interest from Clemson, North Carolina and Tennessee and has received official offers from Vanderbilt and Troy.

With several games left to play in 2015, plus two more years of high school football left, how committed is Taylor to the Commodores?

“I wouldn’t say 100 percent, but I won’t be de-committing anytime soon,” Taylor said. “Right now Vanderbilt is where I want to go to school. I still hope other schools stay in contact.”

Taylor said he considered himself an “athlete” when it comes to recruiting.

Coffee County is off to a 2-5 start. Taylor has more than 300 passing yards while rushing for nine scores and more than 650 yards.

The Red Raiders are assured of a playoff spot, being one of the Super 32 in Class 6A, in which every team makes the playoffs.

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