Vanderbilt hosts 3-star OL prospect from Arkansas

Greenwood's Cody Taylor talks recruiting with High School On SI

Greenwood offensive lineman Cody Taylor poses for a photo, during a recruiting trip to Vanderbilt, with the Commodore's offensive line coach Chris Klenakis. / Cody Taylor

Winning games on the gridiron begin in the trenches, and Greenwood High School (Greenwood, AR) has that anchor on the offensive line propelling the team forward. When the Bulldogs need a yard, running behind No. 68 always produces that, and then some. Greenwood is 10-0 on the season thanks in part to the brutish ways of their interior offensive lineman Cody Taylor. 

All the different parts of Taylor’s (6-3, 305) game are coming together. A student of his position, the kick-step, punch, pad level, explosiveness, down blocking, and sliding off a combo block to pick up the blitz show out. 

Equally impressive is how Taylor finishes his blocks. 

“I have 59 pancakes and knockdowns this season to lead the team,” Taylor said. 

Asked about his last max session in the weight room, Taylor shared, “During the offseason I got 525 on squat and 315 on bench.”

The Bulldogs have been prolific on offense steamrolling through the regular season. Taylor talked about how the guys are getting it done up front. 

“Usually, we do a lot of pass-pro,” Taylor stated. “We have (QB) Kane Archer; he’s good. He’s a stud. We also have a lot of really good receivers. In our last game, it was rainy; we had to run the ball more. Our offensive line coach grades us; I scored 91 percent. I think I did well. We ran the ball pretty much the whole game.”

Taylor continued, “My offensive line coach, he’s doing a great job, so are my teammates. We’re 10-0 with a 23-game win streak, 7-0 conference, 10-0 this season, No. 1 in Arkansas, and we have 68 straight wins at home. I couldn’t do all the pancakes that I do without my offensive line.”

Asked about the improvements in his own game, Taylor shared, “I think my punch and kick are better, and I am staying lower out of my stance and exploding out of my stance.”

Offers for the three-star prospect includes Kentucky, UNLV, Toledo, New Mexico State, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Memphis, and Ole Miss. Another offering program hosted him over the weekend for the South Carolina contest. 

“I recently visited Vanderbilt with their new offensive line coach; they still want me,” Taylor said. “The offer is still there.” 

Details on visiting the SEC program were given, “It went really well. It was cool getting to meet their offensive line coach, coach (Chris) Klenakis. He told me he is old school; I like that. He focuses on technique. Seeing their offensive linemen before the game, they were locked in and ready to go. 

“Their assistant offensive line coach, coach (Dylan) Autenrieth, I talked to him; he’s a cool guy. He told me the offer is there, and they still want me. I loved it. Nashville is a great city. I was born in Hermitage, which is kind of near Nashville.”

Interest in Taylor’s skills is building across the country. 

“UAB is showing interest,” Taylor stated. “Texas A&M is sending a lot of graphics via text. South Florida is sending me a lot of stuff. Louisiana Tech is also showing interest. Nebraska is as well but I am not sure if that is anything serious. I have been there one time. That was a long time ago; either my sophomore or freshman summer.”

The Hokies are letting Taylor know he is high on their board. 

“Virginia Tech, they are on my phone every day,” Taylor shared. “Their offensive line coach will randomly Facetime me. They send me a lot of messages and talk to me a lot; I appreciate that. It makes me feel wanted there. It makes me feel that they care about their recruits.”

In addition to visiting the Commodores, Taylor has seen two Oklahoma State games this fall and made his way down to Oxford to see the Rebels take on Kentucky. 

The hang time at Ole Miss was detailed. 

“I spoke to their offensive line coach some, but I was unable to see him after the game,” Taylor said. “They are sending me stuff to my phone.”

The trips to Stillwater were worthwhile for Taylor. 

“It went really well,” Taylor shared. “Their offensive line coach, coach (Charlie) Dickey, came to speak with me. Coach (Zach) Allen, their offensive line analyst, is a cool guy. A couple of weeks after the last time I was there, they came to my school. They talked to my coach; they are really focused on 2025s right now. Their facilities, everything about OSU was great.”