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Wisconsin lands a commitment from 2023 defensive back Justin Taylor

The Badgers add a third member to the 2023 recruiting class with a commitment from Justin Taylor of La Grange Park, Illinois.

Matt Belz

The Wisconsin Badgers offered La Grange Park (Ill.) athlete Justin Taylor on Wednesday, May 11.

Two days later, the three-star prospect from Nazareth Academy was on campus for a visit to Madison. That was all it took, as Friday evening Taylor was commit No. 3 for Wisconsin in the 2023 recruiting class.

Taylor chose the Badgers over offers from Kansas State at the Power-5 level and additioanl offers from Air Force, Army, Ball State, Bowling Green, Colorado State, Kent State, Miami (OH), Navy, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan.

Though Taylor is listed as an athlete by both 247 Sports and Rivals, he earned the offer from Jim Leonhard and Bobby April on the defensive side of the ball.

A wide receiver and cornerback at the prep level, Taylor could play either corner or safety for the Badgers, which provides flexibility as the staff pursues other players in the class.

Standing 6-feet tall and weighing 185 pounds, his ball skills stand out on film. Pair that with his versatility to play multiple positions, and he is an intriguing addition to the defense.

As a junior, Taylor had over 1,000 all-purpose yards on offense with 13 touchdowns and added 15 tackles with five pass breakups on defense, according to his HUDL film. He returned a punt for a touchdown as well.

Though he is a bit taller, his film and profile remind me a bit of Dean Engram, who the Badgers signed in the 2019 recruiting class. Engram began his career as a cornerback and has returned punts throughout his time in Madison, but made the switch to wide receiver this spring.

I could see a similar trajectory for Taylor where he makes an impact after a few years in the program similar to Engram. Based on his highlights alone, I think he is a more natural defensive back at this stage, however.

As previously mentioned, Taylor represents the third commit in the 2023 cycle. He joins fellow Illinois native Tyler Jansey, who is a three-star inside linebacker, and offensive lineman James Durand of Arizona.

Wisconsin will hope to keep the momentum going on the recruiting trail, with Taylor and Durand committing in consecutive weeks and plenty of official visitors set to visit campus during June.

You can check out his junior highlights here.

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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