Four current and former Michigan gymnasts recently punched their tickets to the 2024 Olympics, and apparently they aren't the only Wolverines who could make the switch.
On Monday, Michigan football completed its largest player signing swap in recent memory, adding four-star safety Ivan Taylor, who previously committed to Notre Dame, to the Class of 2025.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Taylor, a native of Winter Garden (West Orange), Fla., is rated as the No. 8 player in the state of Florida by the 247Sports composite rankings. The defensive back is also ranked as the No. 5 safety in the country and the No. 50 player overall in the senior recruiting class.
It's no surprise that Taylor is such a promising prospect given his football background: His father, Ike Taylor, was a former NFL cornerback who won two Super Bowl championships with the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in 140 games with the team from 2003-2014 with 134 interceptions and 14 throws.
Meanwhile, Ivan, who committed to Notre Dame last December, traveled to South Bend again on June 14th and then to Ann Arbor the following week, and that seemed to be enough to turn the tide.
“High-IQ safety prospect with elite NFL pedigree and a top-tier testing profile,” 24/7 Sports scouting director Andrew Irvins wrote. “Quick and agile. Spent most of his high school career in a two-deep system and proved he can get where he needs to be.”
“He's a guy who could potentially be a multi-year starter at a top-25 program. He looks like he could thrive at the third level of the defense, but he's also tenacious in man coverage so he might be worth using as an inside corner on Saturdays.”
This is not only a continuation of an impressive summer production for the Wolverines, but also a very impressive first freshman class for new defensive backs coach Lamar Morgan. With the addition of Ivan Taylor, UM now has three top-100 prospects in the 2025 group.
Ivan Taylor is currently the 13th player in coach Sherone Moore's first freshman recruiting class, which is ranked 22nd in the country and looks set to produce even more quality players in the future.
