Notre Dame 2025 Commit Profile: Safety Ivan Taylor

Analysis of Notre Dame safety commit Ivan Taylor

Notre Dame safety commit Ivan Taylor / Ivan Taylor

Notre Dame needed to hit it big at safety in the 2025 class, and it did just that when it landed Florida star Ivan Taylor. This is a commitment that gave Notre Dame an elite foundation to build the 2025 defensive class around. Let's take a look at the recruiting profile for Taylor.

IVAN TAYLOR PROFILE

Hometown/High School: Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange

Height/Weight: 5-11, 170

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5

2023 Stats: 45 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 1 interception, 1 pass break, 4 forced fumbles

Recruited By: Chris O'Leary, Mike Mickens

Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, USC, Tennessee, Florida, Penn State, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, Wisconsin, UCF, South Carolina, Pittsburgh

Player Comp: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

RECRUITING RANKINGS

ESPN: 4-star - No. 35 overall - No. 5 safety
247Sports: 4-star - No. 40 overall - No. 5 safety
Rivals: 4-star - No. 111 overall - No. 12 safety
On3: 4-star - No. 121 overall - No. 12 safety
247 Composite: 4-star - No. 48 overall - No. 5 safety
On3 Consensus: 4-star - No. 59 overall - No. 5 safety

NOTRE DAME FIT

Notre Dame is looking to add more cover players to its secondary, especially at the safety position. Taylor fits that bill perfectly, and he's very much a player that plays the same in similar fashion to current Notre Dame star Xavier Watts. His ability to cover allows him to matchup from the back end, but also should allow to even play down in the slot if the need arises or the matchup fit. Notre Dame wants safeties that can do a little bit of everything, and that certainly describes Taylor.

FILM ANALYSIS

He isn't the biggest safety, listed at 5-11 and just 170 pounds, but there's a solid frame to work with. Taylor shows good length for this size and he has very good range, which allows him to make a lot of plays in the run game and pass game. Despite his lack of girth, Taylor is a more than willing tackler. He shows good technique in the run game, but Taylor doles out punishment when he arrives at the ball at the prep level. After a season in a college strength program his striking ability and ability to get off blocks will take a big jump forward.

Taylor is a smooth and fluid athlete, traits that help him thrive in coverage. He transitions with ease, possessing loose hips and easy agility. He's one of those players you don't really think is running full throttle because of his smooth he is, but he is, and he covers ground in a hurry. Taylor's ability to plant and redirect with speed makes him a weapon in the pass game. He can explode downhill and drive on in breaking routes just as easily as he can open up his hips and either get over top or jump a deep route in man coverage.

On top of being a good athlete and productive player, Taylor also shows a high football IQ on film. He plays with great angles, is a decisive football player and puts himself in the right spot all the time. Even if you're faster than him or more athletic, Taylor is able to win because he clearly studies the game, shows great instincts and he's a patient player when he needs to be. This combination of skills allows him to project as a big time ball production player at the next level, which is another reason comparisons are made to Watts.

In the modern game, the best safeties are those that can do a little bit of everything, and that's what Taylor is. He can play the run, he can play centerfield in single high looks, he can play the alleys in man looks, he can thrive as a drop zone player and he shows the ability to be an impact player on the ball. If he can fill out his frame there's not much other than injury that could keep him from being an impact player at the next level.

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