Clemson WR Will Taylor Ready to 'Turn Switch' From Baseball to Football

After suffering a torn ACL during his freshman campaign, sophomore wideout Will Taylor is ready to make his mark on the Clemson offense.

CLEMSON, S.C.- After tearing an ACL early during his freshman season, Will Taylor enters fall camp fully healthy.

The two-sport star, who saw action in the final 13 games of the season for Clemson's baseball team after returning from that injury, has been anxiously awaiting his return to the football field, something that Taylor insists takes an entirely different kind of mentality. 

"I actually kind of throw on a switch," Taylor said. "It's a different attitude for me, honestly. It's a little bit more aggressive over here, compared to the baseball side. You kind of got to relax and just take it pitch by pitch. But for me, over here, football is a little bit more aggressive, more physical. So it's a little different mentality over here."

Returning from such a serious injury has been a process for Taylor, and now that he's back on the football field, having confidence in that knee is one of the biggest hurdles he's had to overcome. 

"Just confidence, that's the big thing coming back from an injury like this," Taylor said. Just having confidence and just transition over here to the football side, same thing, just having confidence running routes and in practice."

Despite having to yet record his first catch at the collegiate level, Taylor's skillset has been likened by some to that of former Clemson and current Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow, a player whom he already tries and models his game after.

"I do a lot of studying on receiver, so he's definitely one I study because I kind of model my game a little bit after him," he said. "Just how he plays the game, on and off the field."

While Taylor was already considered a speedster coming out of high school, the sophomore wideout insists he is now faster than he was prior to suffering the ACL injury. However, one of the final hurdles in the recovery process from a physical standpoint has been getting that speed back laterally and the early returns have been good.

"I feel like I'm definitely faster than I was 12 months ago last year, this time," Taylor said. "Just trying to get the moves back and get the lateral movement back and the past three days have been great so far."

Clemson is listed at +800 to win the national championship, according to odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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