Just three months ago, freshman wide receiver Zach Taylor had no idea he would one day play for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Back then, he didn’t even know he would one day play wide receiver at the college level.
Taylor, a three-star prospect from Yoakum, Texas, was one of the last scholarship players to join the Razorbacks after receiving an offer in late spring. He was originally scheduled to play quarterback at Army starting in July 2023, but circumstances took a dramatic turn for Taylor after he received a call from Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino in May.
“I got a text from Coach Petrino and he asked me to send my film,” Taylor said. “The next day I got a call from Coach Pittman. He and I talked about it and what position I would play if I came.”
After the coaching staff convinced Taylor that he would be a good fit for Arkansas’ wide receiver department, the next step for Taylor was to discuss the matter with his parents and find out if he could still opt out of his commitment to Army at such a late point in the recruiting cycle.
“At the time, I was still committed to playing at Army West Point, so we had to make sure I could still transfer since I had been committed for some time,” Taylor said. “We had to make sure it was in the rules, but it all ended up being good. There’s really no national letter of intent with (the Army), so it was legal to transfer schools.”
Unlike traditional universities, athletes at military academies are not required to sign national letters of intent. While players can attend a formal signing ceremony to announce their commitment to a military academy, nothing is binding until the individual has signed a letter of commitment to that institution – something Taylor said he has not yet signed.
After signing with the Razorbacks on May 20, Taylor was enrolled in classes just days later on June 1. The weeks leading up to his arrival in Fayetteville were tumultuous, but Taylor said he knew he had to start working right away, especially because he had to learn an entirely new position.
“My family and I decided that I would skip high school graduation so I could be here in Arkansas on time,” he said. “I really didn’t want to miss graduation, but graduating from college is more important than graduating from high school. I made the sacrifice to come here.”
Taylor’s high school speeds include a 100-meter dash of 10.44 seconds and a 200-meter dash of 21.33 seconds. Combined with his 6’4″ height, it’s easy to see why the Razorbacks’ coaching staff views him as a potential playmaker at wide receiver.
“I was stunned that nobody else was recruiting him,” Yoakum High School coach Bo Robinson told Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in May. “But the transfer portal and the way things are today, people are going to try to get a big-name player. They’re not going to take a chance on kids very often and I guess Arkansas had the need. I think it’s going to work out well for (Taylor).”
In his final season at Yoakum, Taylor completed 90 of 160 passes for 1,376 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 342 yards and 6 touchdowns. Before transferring to Yoakum, Taylor was the starting quarterback for two years as a sophomore and junior at Del Rio High School in southwest Texas.
“Coach Petrino said, ‘I think you’d be a great quarterback, but that’s not what we need,'” Taylor said. “They talked to me and said, ‘We need another receiver and you have the athleticism to do it and we think you can catch the ball and make some plays for us. If you want to take advantage of the opportunity, it’s there.'”
It’s still unclear if Taylor can settle in quickly enough as a wide receiver to be of any consequence for the Razorbacks this season, but he has spent the summer preparing to be on the field in whatever capacity the team needs.
“Maybe he can even play cornerback, I don’t know,” Robinson said. “He’s a great kid. A good Christian. He’s going to do everything right and he’s a smart kid. I think he’s going to develop into a really good receiver if they let him play there.”
College football players can play up to four games per season before losing their redshirt status. Taylor, who weighs just 170 pounds at the start of fall camp, said he knows he needs to bulk up to be ready for the physical demands of SEC football, but he’s determined to get on the field as soon as possible.
“They didn’t mention anything about redshirting,” he said. “They put me on a diet plan to gain weight. I’m smaller but strong. Because I’m so thin and I work out all the time, I have a fast metabolism. I’ve already gained about 10 pounds since I’ve been here. I’m eating the right foods and living a healthier lifestyle.”
While he saw the chance to play quarterback at Army as a great opportunity, Taylor said he couldn’t pass up the chance to play for an SEC program.
“I’m just thankful they gave me the opportunity to come here,” Taylor said. “The Army wasn’t my first choice, but the Lord gave me something at the time, so I took the opportunity. Then he gave me something better, so I give (God) all the glory.”
