Just three months ago, freshman wide receiver Zach Taylor had no idea he would be an Arkansas Razorback. At the time, he didn't even know he would be playing wide receiver at the college level.
A 3-star prospect from Yoakum, Texas, Taylor became one of the last scholarship players to commit to the Razorbacks after receiving an offer late in the spring. Originally committed to play quarterback at Army since July of 2023, circ*mstances took a dramatic turn for Taylor after he received a phone call from Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino in May.
"I got a text from Coach Petrino and he asked me to send my film," Taylor said. "The next day I ended up getting a call from Coach Pittman. Me and him talked about it and what position I'd be playing if I did come."
Once the coaching staff convinced Taylor that he would be a good fit in the wide receiver room at Arkansas, the next step for Taylor was to talk things over with his parents and find out if he could get out of his commitment to Army at such a late date in the recruiting cycle.
"At the time I was still committed to Army West Point to play, so we had to make sure that I was able to still switch because I had been committed for a while," Taylor said. "We had to make sure it was in the rules, but it ended up all being good. There really is no national letter of intent with (Army), so it made it legal to switch schools."
Unlike traditional universities, military academies do not have their athletes sign national letters of intent. Players may have a signing day ceremony to announce their commitment to a service academy, but nothing is binding until the individual has signed a certificate of commitment to said institution -- something Taylor said he had yet to sign.
After signing with the Razorbacks on May 20, Taylor was enrolled in classes just days later on June 1. It was a whirlwind several weeks before arriving in Fayetteville, but Taylor said he knew he had to get to work immediately, especially with having to learn a whole new position.
"Me and my family made the decision that I was going to skip high school graduation so I'd be here at Arkansas on time," he said. "I really didn't want to miss graduation, but college graduation is more important than high school graduation. I've accepted the sacrifice to get here."
Having run a 10.44-second 100 meters and a 21.33 200 in high school, Taylor possesses elite speed. Couple that with his 6-4 frame and it's easy to see why he is viewed by the Razorbacks coaching staff as a potential playmaker at wide receiver.
"I was baffled that nobody else recruited him," Yoakum High School Coach Bo Robinson told Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in May. "But the transfer portal and the way things are today, people are going to try and get a known commodity. They're not going to take a chance on kids a lot of times and I guess Arkansas had the need. I think it's going to work out well for (Taylor)."
In his senior season at Yoakum, Taylor completed 90 of 160 passes for 1,376 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 342 yards and 6 touchdowns. Before transferring to Yoakum, Taylor was a two-year starting quarterback at Del Rio High School in southwestern Texas as a sophom*ore and a junior.
"Coach Petrino said that, 'I think you would make a great quarterback, but that's not what we need,' " Taylor said. "They talked to me and said, 'We need one more receiver and you have the athleticism to do it and we believe you would be able to catch the ball and make some plays for us. If you like to take the opportunity, the opportunity is there.' "
It is still unknown if Taylor will be able to adjust quickly enough as a wide receiver to make an impact for the Razorbacks this season, but he has spent the summer preparing to be on the field in whatever capacity the team needs.
"He might even be able to play (cornerback), I don't know," Robinson said. "He's a great kid. Good Christian kid. He's going to do all the right things and he's a smart kid. I think he'll develop into a really good receiver, if that's where they're going to play him."
College football players can play up to four games in a season before losing their redshirt status. Listed at just 170 pounds entering fall camp, Taylor said he knows he needs to bulk up to be ready for the physicality of SEC football, but he is determined to get on the field as soon as possible.
"They haven't mentioned anything about redshirting," he said. "They have me on a meal plan to gain weight. I'm smaller but I'm strong. Being so skinny and always working, I have a fast metabolism. Now that I've been here, I've gained about 10 pounds already. Eating the right foods and being healthier."
While he viewed the chance to play quarterback at Army as a great opportunity, Taylor said the chance to join an SEC program was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"I'm just grateful that they gave me the opportunity to be able to come down here," Taylor said. "Army wasn't my first choice, but the Lord gave me something right then, so I took the opportunity. Then he gave me something better, so I give (God) all the glory."
