Gatesville High football coach headed to join Art Briles at Mount Vernon

HOUSTON - Zion Taylor doesn't play like most freshman defensive ends.

Most freshmen don't rotate with the 1's during spring football and most freshmen didn't just pick up their fourth Division I offer, three from Power 5 conference programs, without even playing a down of varsity football.

Taylor isn't like most freshmen.

The Shadow Creek move-in, formerly at Ridge Point, has meshed well with the Sharks this spring and has made a clear case for varsity playing time come the fall. He also just picked up an offer from the University of Houston this week.

"It's amazing to have these offers so young," Taylor, whose first-ever offer was from Michigan State on February 9, said. "It's a true blessing, all thanks to God."

The 6-foot-2, 212-pound defensive end - remember he is just a freshman - has offers from Michigan State, University of Houston, Pitt and Colorado.

He doesn't plan to take any official visits this summer but does have a laundry list of camps that he is planning to attend, including the SMU Mega camp in early June. He will also attend Texas, Baylor, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Duke and University of Incarnate Word's camps as well.

This football thing is in his blood. His older brothers Brandon Bell and DePriest Taylor both played at Manvel High School. Bell went on to play at New Mexico State and Taylor is at Prairie View A&M.

With just a season of freshman ball under his belt, Taylor said he is working on getting stronger and faster at his position this offseason.

So, who does he like to mimic his game after?

"Chase Young," Taylor said. "I look up to him. He's fast of the ball and I'm fast off the ball. He's just an elite edge rusher with great hips and hands."

There was another elite defensive lineman in the shark tank a few years ago, his name was Alec Bryant and he's now at Virginia Tech.