High School Football: What is the latest on Springfield Leonard Taylor's college plans?

Leonard Taylor has seen a lot of colleges on the recruiting trail, and he has been seen in several different positions on the football field.

The Springfield senior is looking at narrowing down both of those areas this fall.

The four-star 2018 prospect’s positions included quarterback, tight end and defensive end last season, but coach Maurice Douglass expects someone else to take the snaps this fall for the Wildcats.

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That should free up the 6-5, 240-pounder to be a threat to opposing teams both as a pass catcher and a pass rusher without having to worry about all the things that also go into playing quarterback.

“I think that’s gonna be a whole lot better,” Taylor said. “Nobody’s gonna have to worry about anything. I can play my position. They can play their position and we can all make plays.”

Last season, Taylor took over as the quarterback in Week 5. He threw for 623 yards and seven touchdowns while also rushing for 119 yards and nine scores.

On defense, he logged 40 tackles, including three sacks, and scored two more touchdowns — one on a fumble recovery and the other on an interception.

The 14th-ranked prospect in the state of Ohio per the 247Sports composite rankings, Taylor has been a presence on the recruiting scene for most of his high school career. He was verbally committed to Michigan for a period of time last year, but Taylor does not sound like he is in a rush to finish out the recruiting process with his senior year approaching.

“I’ve got to find the school that really fits and a coaching staff that’s together and strong and won’t be going anywhere,” he said.

A day later, Taylor released his top 10 schools: Alabama, Ohio State, Louisville, Michigan, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Penn State, Oklahoma and Kentucky.

💸 Respect It. 💯🔥 pic.twitter.com/QPodsVUyo6— Lenny T 😛 (@Lenny_T_20) July 1, 2017

Among the places he has already visited are Knoxville, Madison, Happy Valley and Columbus.

RELATED: Class of 2018 verbal commits

He is planning trips to Oklahoma, Kentucky and Alabama, too, while returns trips to Penn State and Wisconsin (where former teammate Danny Davis will be a freshman this fall) are in the works.

He said he will probably go to Ohio State, Cincinnati and Michigan, too, but hasn’t decided who will get his five official visits.

Whether he ends up on offense or defense isn’t a concern at this point.

“I’m just taking my time, making sure I get my right five visits that I want,” he said. “Wherever I go, I’m gonna adapt and fit in.”

In the meantime, he is excited to do what he can to get the Wildcats back to the playoffs this fall — with hopes of playing beyond the first week of the postseason this time.

“I’m real excited for this year,” he said. “I’m ready to be a big leader and lead my team to another good season. And to the playoffs, of course.”

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