Running Free

It's been six months since months Katy's Adam Taylor felt the snap of his left anterior cruciate ligament and the 2011 season disappear.

Taylor suffered the injury against Galena Park North Shore in the season opener on Aug. 26. He rushed for 106 yards before going down.

But with youth comes optimism. Following successful surgery, Taylor is nearly at 100 percent for the 2012 season. For precautionary reasons, he said doctors will not release him to go through either the track season or the spring football season which begins at the end of April.

"I'm running and squatting, cutting and changing direction,'' Taylor said. "Really, I'm not feeling any soreness after anything I do except when I'm weight lifting.''

Enough Division I programs, though, know he has the package to be impacting running back. Baylor is one of them. The four-star 2013 standout is taking the different approach than most Division I prospects this time of year.

Instead of running from one junior day to the next, he prefers to go to schools on his own.

"I'd rather visit with the coaches one on one and see what they have to say,'' Taylor said. "It gives you a different look.''

Taylor said he has just started talking with Baylor assistant Kendal Briles and plans on visiting Waco. The only question is when. There were rumors that he could be committing to Oklahoma this weekend but denied that there was any truth to the talk.

What makes Baylor attractive is proximity and the fact that this program has started to build momentum with consecutive bowl appearances, a 10-win season in 2011 and a Heisman Trophy winner. The latter pretty much sells itself.

"I like the program a lot,'' he said. "Look at what RG3 did and the fact that's close to home is a plus. I want to get to know it a little more. So far everything has been great to me about recruiting. The more you build a relationship, the better off you're going to be. I just want to go up there and see how everything is run.''

Any Division I program knew of Taylor's value in 2010. As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,553 yards (9.7 avg) and 18 touchdowns. With his knee nearly whole and an offer list growing, Taylor will have a great number of opportunities.

He plans on taking his SAT on March 10.