Football recruiting: Springfield standout Leonard Taylor lays out final plans before signing day

The Springfield standout — a starter at quarterback and defensive tackle for the Wildcats football team and the center on the basketball team — visited Louisville last weekend and has three more trips scheduled: Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Texas A&M.

Taylor is in a unique position as a four-star prospect still on the market, and that has opened up his recruitment in the final two months.

Texas A&M and Florida State — both under new management after Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher left Tallahassee for College Station in December — were among several programs to reach out after the first signing day.

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“That’s great,” he said. "It just shows that they’re looking for a good tight end that they need and seeing that they’re coming up to Springfield, Ohio, looking for Leonard Taylor means a lot.”

Taylor is rated as a tight end in the 247Sports database, but he said he is still open to playing on either side of the ball at the next level.

“Coaches are telling me, ‘You can have your opportunity to play tight end and if that don’t work out you can flip and play defense if you want to,’” he said.

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In addition to picking his future school, Taylor has taken a role as one of the senior leaders on a Wildcats squad that is 10-0 and looking to repeat as GWOC National East and district champs.

"Springfield has a real good brotherhood and we're just trying to keep that tradition going and keep being successful at the end of the day," he said after scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a win over Cleveland Heights on Sunday night.

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At No. 8, Taylor is the top-rated Ohioan in the 2018 247Sports composite rankings who has not signed or verbally committed, and he is not the only local prospect still deciding where he will play next season.

Dunbar receiver JoJo Scates (No. 10 overall) is the next-best player available while Trotwood-Madison running back Ra’veion Hargrove and receiver Dallas Daniels are also undecided, at least publicly.