Canes safety Isaiah Taylor discusses how he arrived at UM and playing for famous father

Listen closely to new Miami Hurricanes safety Isaiah Taylor, and you hear his Hall of Fame dad’s voice echoing, a reminder of the way his famous father can turn a phrase.

Asked if his father, Dolphins legend and UM defensive line coach Jason Taylor, encouraged him to transfer to Miami, Isaiah said: “He’s big on letting me walk my own journey.”

Ask Jason Taylor a similar question minutes later, and he points out that “it was [Isaiah’s] journey” to walk.

After playing for his dad at St. Thomas Aquinas, Isaiah and Jason Taylor have been reunited in Coral Gables this season.

Isaiah Taylor transferred from Arizona to UM this past January, eager to join the open competition for playing time at safety.

“The culture here” appealed to Isaiah Taylor. So did “the competitive spirit. I also liked coming back home; being able to be around the family more often is a major key.”

One of the biggest positives of being Jason Taylor’s son “is I get to soak up any information from him. Even the smallest questions, I can go and ask my dad. I see him every day at home. Having him there every day is a positive.”

Is there a negative to being Jason Taylor’s son and playing at the school where his father coaches? His answer reflected sentiments voiced previously by former NBA player Austin Rivers (son of Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers) and others with famous fathers.

“The negatives are always going to be people are going to have their own opinions,” Isaiah Taylor said. “People think you made it just because your dad’s there or because of your name. That’s not true. It comes down to being a talented player and being able to give what you have every day.”

But that negative is far outweighed by the positives.

Ask Isaiah what he admires most about his father, and he doesn’t need time to think:

“His hard work,” he said. “That’s something I try to drive myself to be more like him. To give my all every day.”

Isaiah Taylor arrives at UM after a season in which his playing time diminished at Arizona.

In 2022, Taylor played 290 defensive snaps and had a decent 70.9 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus. Last season, he ended up logging only 146 defensive snaps, with much of his playing time coming on special teams. This past season, Taylor allowed five catches on seven targets for 65 yards and a touchdown, per PFF.

Taylor appeared in 24 games for the Wildcats over the past three seasons and had 56 tackles and two passes defended. He had one career interception -- in Arizona’s 38-35 win against Arizona State in 2022.

After three years at Arizona, Taylor thought it was time for a fresh start, especially after it became apparent that coach Jedd Fisch was likely leaving; Fisch took the Washington job three days after Taylor entered the portal.

“There were rumblings in Tuscon about coach Fisch having a chance to move on,” Jason Taylor said. “Isaiah wanted to make a change. Obviously he wanted to be at Miami when he came out of high school.”

But the Canes, at the time, didn’t offer him a scholarship. Illinois, Missouri, Maryland, Minnesota and Syracuse were among his other suitors when he was a senior at Aquinas.

“The opportunity to get back here was huge for him,” Jason Taylor said. “People ask me why you do what you do. You look at number 28, that’s why I do what I do. You look at No. 86 in Baton Rouge, that’s why I do what I do.”

No. 86 would his son, Mason, who has 74 receptions for 762 years, in two years as a tight end at LSU.

Regarding his decision to transfer to Miami, Isaiah Taylor acknowledged that “it’s not like [my father] didn’t encourage me. But he was letting me make my own decision. Once I came on campus, and saw the culture they have, it was an easy decision for me.”

The fact the position was open following the departures of Kamren Kinchens and James Williams was “something really interesting for me,” Isaiah Taylor said. “That’s one of the big keys for coming here.”

What did his father tell him about what to expect?

“He’s just there to help is his main thing,” Isaiah Taylor said. “If I need any help, have any questions, just reach out and ask him. He’s always got my back wherever I’m at.

“He was always there watching my games at Arizona, giving me tips and little notes and things I can do better and things I did wrong. He told me everything is earned here. It comes down to hard work and the effort you put in and you’ll get rewarded.”

Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry has said that Mishael Powell and Jaden Harris are the likely starters at safety. But Taylor is competing for a role behind them, with Markeith Williams and freshman Zaquan Patterson among others also figuring prominently into that competition.