Park Crossing senior quarterback Cam Taylor, a former Missouri commit, announced that he will be on hand for Saturday's Iron Bowl. Kamarri Darrington
AUBURN – It’s no coincidence that Cam Taylor’s player host on his official visit at Auburn this past weekend was Daniel Thomas.
Taylor has high hopes his recruitment can end in a very similar way to Thomas, a fellow native of Montgomery, despite leaving the Auburn campus without a scholarship offer but a message of staying patient until National Signing Day, Feb. 7.
"It's very high. Coach (Kevin) Steele and (Gus) Malzahn gave me the direct truth,” Taylor said. “They're very transparent with me. Coach Steele has always real with me so (an offer) is coming, I know that it is."
Thomas, who just finished his sophomore season after being a three-star prospect out of Robert E. Lee High School, was told by Auburn coaches a week before signing day that the program likely had no room for him in its 2016 recruiting class. However, at 7 a.m. on National Signing Day nearly two years ago, Malzahn called Thomas with a scholarship offer when Thomas woke up that morning thinking he’d be signing with Minnesota.
“(Thomas) really told me to not worry about things because you never know how things are going to work out. You never know who is going to sign and commit. It's a process. You have to trust the process and take everything day by day,” Taylor said Sunday. “He told me to call him (Sunday night) and talk about it. They're about to go talk it over right now so you never know what could happen in 24 hours."
Taylor, who has official visits scheduled for Florida Atlantic and Nebraska, believes Auburn’s hiring of Marcus Woodson as the program’s 10th assistant coach also helps his cause of eventually finding a spot on Auburn’s 2018 recruiting class. Taylor was being recruited heavily last summer by Memphis and Woodson was present at a mini prospects camp to watch the Park Crossing product to run a 4.43-second time in the 40-yard dash.
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With 15 early signing prospects and seven more verbal commitments slotted for Auburn’s class, that leaves just three spots available for several options.
“I'm going to take my time with everything. I won't make a decision until February 7,” Taylor said.
However, despite saying he’ll wait nearly another month to announce a decision, Taylor admitted that an Auburn offer would essentially end his recruiting process.
“It would be a big thing,” Taylor said. “I always tell you guys the same thing. (An Auburn offer) would change everything with recruiting. Right now, I'm going to be patient with everything."
Taylor was at Jordan-Hare Stadium for Auburn’s 26-14 win over eventual national champion Alabama in the Iron Bowl that led the Tigers getting to the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.
Taylor led the Thunderbirds to a 10-2 record and a berth in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs after earning 2,496 total yards (1,466 passing, 1,030 rushing) with 30 total touchdowns (16 passing, 14 rushing). However, the former Missouri verbal commit is being looked at by Auburn and offered by Nebraska as a defensive back. Taylor said Sunday that FAU head coach Lane Kiffin wants him on the field immediately and that could involve him as a wide receiver and wildcat quarterback.
“I want to play defense. I honestly couldn't do the things I wanted to do while playing quarterback because you have to be humble and things,” Taylor said. “So I get to turn up a little bit and do a little bit more things than I get to do playing quarterback. I like to hit and couldn't do that playing quarterback."