Elyria Catholic’s Taylor commits to Pitt

Elyria Catholic’s Branson Taylor narrowed his college choice to West Virginia University and Pitt. On A0ug. 23, Taylor chose to be a Panther after a scrimmage against Oberlin.

Branson Taylor has only been playing offensive line for about a year, but made it his mission to become the best football player he could be and turned that into 23 Division I college football offers before the start of his senior season.

Taylor narrowed his offers to two — West Virginia and Pitt — then on Aug. 23 after a scrimmage with Oberlin, announced in front of his team, family, friends and Elyria Catholic community that he would continue his academic and athletic career at the University of Pittsburgh where he will join Coach Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers.

“It’s gonna be very exciting,” Taylor said.

“When I went there on my official visit, they treated my family and me with just true respect and care, so I felt like they won me over there.”

Taylor, a 6-foot-7, 310-pound lineman began his football career two years ago as a backup tight end before transitioning to the line last season.

It’s his unrelenting work ethic Elyria Catholic coach Brian Fox said is what’s earned Taylor all the success he’s seen in his few short years playing football.

“I think he’s about a year and a week into playing offensive line,” Fox said. “He was not an offensive lineman last year. He was a backup tight end coming into last season. He’s gonna do a lot of big things.

“You see him standing next to some of these freshman offensive linemen and he’s just talking with them, goofing around, he knows their names. He’s an unbelievable leader when it comes to these young guys.”

Taylor credits his AAU basketball coach, Donnie Moody, as the reason he got into football.

“He was a great mentor for me,” Taylor said.

“Always helping me out throughout this process, just checked in on me. After an AAU tournament he just told me to try football and I listened to him and it got me here.”

Now, Taylor is ready to focus on getting Elyria Catholic back in the playoffs for the second straight year with the stress of recruiting a thing of the past.

The Panthers open the season at home against Perkins on Aug. 30.

“It’s truly a blessing,” Taylor said. “I just can’t wait to get started.”

Taylor