Mason Taylor 'ready for everything' as LSU tight end
LSU tight end Mason Taylor is ready to prove something in 2024 after watching the dynamic wide receivers take center stage with Jayden Daniels in 2023.
The heroics he showed in 2022 displayed the promise of what Taylor can be. Now with Garrett Nussmeier taking over at quarterback, LSU’s adding in more two tight end sets.
“Yeah, definitely,” Taylor told reporters of his workload increasing. “Like you said, we don’t have Jayden Daniels running a lot, but we have a lot on our plates I think as tight ends and I think that’s a good thing. We’ve been mixing a few 12 personnel things, trying to see where we stand with that and just trying new things and I think it’s working along good. Like I said, us tight ends, we’re ready for everything, we’re versatile, so we like to have a lot of things on our plate and we’re up for the challenge.”
Taylor wants to show his all-around improvement. Stats aren’t as important as much as making the impact the coaches desire from him in 2024, his third season with the Tigers.
“Just all around. I’m not really a stats guy,” he said. “I don’t really look at that much, but I kind of just try to work on everything and everything’s going to come into fruition. So I think as long as I keep working, work on the little things or the things I need to work on, or coach tells me to work on, it will all come to fruition and it will come into play.
“I feel good. It’s been a quick two years. So I’m going to take this third one in pretty well, and it’s going to be a big year for me. I have a lot of things to prove, a lot of things to work on, so it’s definitely going to be a big year.”
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As LSU’s offense moves into a new era with a new playcaller in Joe Sloan, Taylor’s excited. There are new pieces into the fold with plenty of options that gives the coaches chances to mix things up. Even if that means not having a true No. 1 target, that might help diversify the new-look attack.
“Right now, we got a lot of good guys. Zavion (Thomas) and CJ (Daniels) coming in, I think we just have a huge group,” Taylor said. “Like last year, we got a huge group of guys, all have different abilities and different things they all do great so I think coach Hankton and Sloan are gonna have packages that display that talent all across the field.”
As he tweaks his physique to play around 250 pounds, Taylor’s primary focus is building trust with Nussmeier.
“The main thing is having a trust with my quarterback. Basically having that trust that I’m gonna be open and stuff like that so basically getting separation off of routes or just having efficient blocks and stuff like that. I need to limit the mistakes and go play free. When the ball’s thrown my way, make that play.”
