Arizona State redshirt freshman defensive back and return man D.J. Taylor was named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week on Tuesday after a successful performance against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at ASU’s Thursday night opener.
Taylor returned two kicks for 34 and 21 yards respectively on Thursday, as well as three punts of 22, 47, and 18 yards. 2020’s highest-graded return man in the Pac-12 accumulated 142 all-purpose yards on the night.
“I’m very happy (to be recognized as Special Teams Player of the Week),” Taylor told reporters on Tuesday. “I just found out like five minutes ago, so I have a whole bunch of messages from my family about earning (the recognition). I hope to keep accomplishing these things and grinding it out from here.”
Taylor made quite the impression in his freshman season across the span of three games, making his first return attempts in the only home game ASU hosted last year against UCLA. Taylor nearly scored his first kickoff return touchdown against the Bruins, a 42-yard effort on which he was tripped but drew a 15-yard penalty for the infraction, setting up ASU with prime field position.
Originally a running back, Taylor converted to the other side of the ball and became a well-known name amongst Sun Devil fans on the first play of last year’s Territorial Cup, taking the opening kickoff back for a 107-yard touchdown, the first Sun Devil to do so across the 94 times the two sides have met. Many teammates and coaches have attributed his touchdown return as the “tone setter” that set the precedent for ASU’s colossal 70-7 victory.
Across eight return attempts in four games in 2020, Taylor racked up 279 return yards for an average of 36.9 yards per attempt, earning him selections on the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team, as well as the Preseason Pac-12 Second Team. Taylor was the highest-graded kick returner in the Pac-12, earning an 81.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, good enough for 12th nationally. His average yards per attempt statistic was seven yards per return, more than any other player in the Pac-12, and fourth among players in the FBS with at least five kickoff returns.
Along with kick return duties, Taylor was shoved out to take punt return duties away from redshirt senior running back Rachaad White, who is listed as the first-team punt returner on the Sun Devil depth chart. White returned the first punt ASU fielded on Thursday night for 36 yards, before yielding duties to Taylor. The redshirt freshman had never returned a collegiate punt in a game, so the prospect of taking back kicks that are booted into the sky with a group of players sprinting to tackle him is a concept that Taylor is still wrapping his head around.
“To me, I’m still kind of scared for punt return,” Taylor admitted, laughing. “With the ball being in the air for a while, I was telling (wide receivers) Coach (Bobby) Wade that I couldn’t even see the ball kicked from the punter. I was looking at the (big screen) every time and then just waiting for the ball to come down and make a play from there.”
Taylor’s key traits as a player are his speed, vision, and ability to put opposing players in disadvantageous positions. His experience with taking advantage of placing others in compromising positions dates back to his days when he was training with his father.
“I think about angles (while returning),” Taylor recalled. “My dad and I always thought about it. When I was in middle school, he noticed that I always use people’s body positions to make them (go the) wrong (way) and go off of it…. I use my speed and vision to be able to get past people and change their body positions to make it easier for me to go get a touchdown.”
The second-year Sun Devil also spoke highly his special teams coach, Shawn Slocum, on Tuesday regarding the lessons he’s learned from one of ASU’s most veteran coaches.
“He tells me all the time - do ordinary things extraordinarily well,” Taylor said. “After that, just go from there. He also tells us that when we work together as a unit, we are a grade-A team.”
Taylor’s skill set is far from normal, though, as his abilities open up limitless possibilities when carrying the pigskin in the open air. His goals are just as special, as he aims to accumulate five kick return touchdowns this season alone. That mark is enough to surpass the Pac-12 record of four, held by former Utah return man Reggie Dunn’s 2012 effort. Five is also enough to match the single-season NCAA record holder, Ashlan Davis’ 2004 performance for Tulsa.
Much like the returns he catches, Taylor’s goals are lofty, but catchable.
“I’m hoping to get (five kick return touchdowns) this season; I was kind of mad I didn’t get one (on Thursday),” Taylor said. “I’m going to go ahead and get the five (scores); I saw the (record) was five, so I’m going to get there, and I’m hoping to get six after that.”
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