When researching a school or talking to its coaches, it’s one thing to hear about the change in organizational structure and it’s another to personally witness it. When former NFL head coach Marvin Lewis, gets hired by the college you happen to be officially visiting, there was no mistaking in DeAngelo Taylor’s mind as what type of program Arizona State wished to establish.

“I liked the visit a lot actually,” Taylor admitted. “If felt a lot like home back in Tampa. It’s a big city and you are in the middle of everything there. The facilities are really new, just two years old. I really liked the culture of the school and the bond the players have. That was important because when you go to a school the players are the guys you will hang out with the most. They seemed very together as a team outside of football and treated each other like family and that stood out to me. Cameron Phillips, Jayden Daniels and Ethan Long are some of the guys I hung out with.

“The players I talked to said that they liked the school a lot, especially under coach Herm Edwards. They like the pro coaching style that they have. I was there when they hired Marvin Lewis, and they have another coach that is about to get inducted to the Hall of Fame (Kevin Mawae) who was the best center to ever play in the NFL.”

The current players on the team weren’t the only ones who were trying to recruit Taylor to join the ranks in Tempe.

“On the visit, I was on FaceTime with (ASU 2020 commits) Chad Johnson Jr. and T Lee,” Taylor described. “I talked to them a lot during the trip. They let me know all about the school and what made them commit there. They said that they want me to come with them and be part of something special.”

Taylor said that he was especially impressed by Edwards’ words on how all these former NFL coaches and players are wanting to come to the college level, namely ASU, to help young players develop on and off the field.

“They want to make a difference in a college athlete’s life,” Taylor commented. “You can get your degree in three years and if you’re good enough to pursue your dreams you can leave for the NFL then. If you’re not you can still stay there for five years and leave with your Master’s degree.

“When my mother, who was on the visit with me, asked coach Edwards what made him leave ESPN to come to Arizona State, he said that being on TV wasn't helping him influence and help young athletes.”

As a junior for the Tampa Catholic Crusaders Taylor posted 45 tackles, 12 passes defended, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He stated that his quickness and aggression are some of the traits that have impressed ASU’s secondary coach Tony White and the rest of the Sun Devil staff.

“Coach White really likes my athleticism,” Taylor noted, “because he wants defensive backs that can be on the kick return and punt return teams too. He wants cornerbacks that can attack and get the ball at its highest point. With all the different coverages they play, he said that he also wants very physical cornerbacks that can cover well.

“I like their scheme because they always have five defensive backs on the field. So that’s a position that will get a lot of playing time. If I were to commit to that school most of the players there right now would have already graduated so I can have a good chance at a starting spot.”

Taylor laid out a long list of schools that he wants to unofficially visit over the next several weeks, and added that ultimately he was eyeing a preseason decision.

“I want to check out other schools and see what the culture is like there,” Taylor said, “but I like Arizona State a lot. They are one of my top schools along with Pitt, Louisville, Cincinnati, UCF and Iowa State. I’m planning to visit Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and Florida State and also Maryland, FAU and Miami. The two official visits I’m planning for the fall are Louisville and Cincinnati.

“End of July or early August is when I want to make my decision, and I will sign in December. I want to choose a school that has a strong team bond, helping their players academically to get their degree and seeing how important it is for the school for the players to be a student first and then an athlete. The culture and the diversity of the school are also important.”

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