Tampa, Fla. -- Kent Taylor is impressive both in his play and stature.
At 6'5", 235 pounds, Taylor literally stood above his high school competition at Land O'Lakes High. His abilities earned him a trip to the U.S. Army All-America game.
Despite all that, Taylor is realistic as he prepares for his first college season next fall at Florida.
"I'm not ready yet physically," Taylor said. "That's the thing about tight end that people don't understand. You have to be able to block a defensive end that's 280 pounds."
That is not an indication that Taylor won't be able to do that. He's just realistic. He expects to help the Gators offense as a slot receiver/H-back while he continues to add weight.
But he's not waiting until he arrives in Gainesville. Taylor is working at Cooper Speed and Strength in Tampa.
"It's a great combination between getting bigger and also staying flexible and staying fast," Taylor said of his work with trainier Josh Cooper. "which is big for my position and what I'm good at."
Taylor is the nation's top-rated tight end by multiple recruiting services.
He originally committed to Florida in October largely because Charlie Weis was offensive coordinator. Weis was hired as head coach at Kansas.
Taylor waited to see who Will Muschamp hired as Weis' replacement. Brent Pease got the job after leading Boise State's offense in 2011.
"If you look at Boise State, number one they throw the ball. And number two, they really have thrown it to the tight end," Taylor said. "I'm really happy with that hire, and I think it's gonna be a great thing for me and the Gators."
Travis Bell, 10 News