Joe Taylor

Class:
Sophomore
Position:
WR
Height:
5-10
Weight:
185
Hometown:
Chelsea, Mich.
High School:
Chelsea

CAREER HIGHS

Defense
• Tackles: 3 - vs. TCU (Dec. 31, 2022)
• Solos: 3 - vs. TCU (Dec. 31, 2022)
• Asst: 1, 3x - last vs. New Mexico (Aug. 30, 2025)
• TFLs: none
• Sacks: none
• Int.: none
• FR: none
• PBUs: none

Offense
• Catches: 1 - vs. Alabama (Dec. 31, 2024)
• Yards: 9 - vs. Alabama (Dec. 31, 2024)
• TDs: none
• Long: 9 - vs. Alabama (Dec. 31, 2024)

At Michigan
• Voted an alternate captain by his teammates (2025)
• Named as the team's Special Teams Player of the Year (2024)
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2022-23)
• Four-time letter winner (2021-22-23-24)
• Has appeared in 43 career games including 3 on offense

Graduate Student (2025)
• Shared Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against New Mexico
• Delivered two special teams tackles against New Mexico (Aug. 30)
• Helped force a fumble playing in punt coverage and recovered a punt with the punt return unit playing on special teams at Oklahoma (Sept. 6)
• Contributed on special teams against Central Michigan (Sept. 13)
• Made a solo tackle in special teams coverage and fair caught several kickoffs at Nebraska (Sept. 20)

Senior (2024)
• Appeared in 11 games on special teams including two at wide receiver; caught a nine-yard pass, returned four kickoffs for 69 yards, made four tackles, and forced one fumble to earn his fourth varsity letter
• Named as the team's Special Teams Player of the Year
• Shared Special Teams Player of the Game for his performance against USC
• Contributed on special teams against Arkansas State (Sept. 14), Michigan State (Oct. 26), at Washington (Oct. 5), at Illinois (Oct. 19), at Indiana (Nov. 9)
• Credited with one special teams tackle against USC (Sept. 21)
• Credited with a solo tackle playing on special teams coverage against Minnesota (Sept. 28)
• Forced a fumble on punt coverage against Oregon (Nov. 2) and was credited with the tackle
• Played snaps at wide receiver and also contributed on special teams against Northwestern (Nov. 23)
• Returned one squibbed kickoff six yards and contributed on special teams at Ohio State (Nov. 30)
• Played at wide receiver and on special teams against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31); caught a nine-yard pass and returned two kickoffs for 34 total yards and also made a tackle

Junior (2023)
• Appeared in all 15 games on special teams; made four tackles and returned one kickoff for 13 yards to earn his third varsity letter
• Named Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance at Michigan State
• Contributed on special teams against ECU (Sept. 2), Bowling Green (Sept. 16), Indiana (Oct. 14), Ohio State (Nov. 25), at Nebraska (Sept. 30), at Minnesota (Oct. 7)
• Contributed on special teams against UNLV (Sept. 9) and made one solo tackle
• Returned a kickoff 13 yards among other special teams contributions against Rutgers (Sept. 23)
• Credited with a solo tackle in special teams coverage at Penn State (Nov. 11)
• Recovered an onside kick attempt at Maryland (Nov. 18)
• Contributed on special teams against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 2), against Alabama in the Rose Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Jan. 1)
• Assisted on one tackle in punt coverage playing on special teams against Washington in the CFP National Championship Game (Jan. 8)

Sophomore (2022)
• Appeared in all 14 games on special teams including one at wide receiver; made a team-high six special teams tackles and returned two kicks for 34 yards to earn his second varsity letter
• Shared Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Illinois
• Contributed on special teams against Colorado State (Sept. 3), Penn State (Oct. 15), Michigan State (Oct. 29), at Iowa (Oct. 1), at Indiana (Oct. 8), at Ohio State (Nov. 26)
• Made one solo tackle playing on special teams against Hawaii (Sept. 10)
• Played as a wide receiver and special teams contributor against UConn (Sept. 17)
• As a special teams contributor, made one special teams tackle against Maryland (Sept. 24)
• Returned a short kickoff 10 yards while contributing on special teams at Rutgers (Nov. 5)
• Assisted on one tackle playing special teams coverage against Nebraska (Nov. 12)
• Fair caught two kickoff attempts while contributing on special teams against Illinois (Nov. 19)
• Contributed on special teams against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 3)
• Made three solo stops playing special teams against TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)

Freshman (2021)
• Appeared in one game at running back to earn his first varsity letter
• Named Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Week for his role in preparing the special teams units to play Rutgers
• Made his U-M debut in the backfield against Northern Illinois (Sept. 18)

Prep
• Attached Chelsea High School (2021) coached by Josh Lucas
• Helped team win three straight district and regional championships
• Three-year varsity performer in football and baseball
• Helped the Bulldogs reach the state semifinals junior year

Key Statistics
• Caught 37 passes for 764 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior; scored a touchdown in every game during the season
• Rushed for two scores and returned a kickoff for a touchdown senior year
• Recorded 21 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions and five pass breakups as a senior
• Recorded a team-high 82 tackles as a junior, including 3.5 TFLs, forced four fumbles and intercepted three passes

Honors and Rankings
• Selected to play in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association All-Star game
• Named MLive Dream Team Player of the Year for the Ann Arbor area; also named first-team All-Southeastern Conference White and All-Region honors in Division 3
• Two-time MHSFCA Dream Team member
• Named MHSFCA Division 3 All-State first team at receiver as a senior
• Earned Division 3 All-State honors at defensive back as a junior
• Two-time All-Conference and All-District in baseball
• All-State honors in baseball as a senior

Personal
• Joe Taylor was born March 18, 2003
• Son of Adam and Anju Taylor
• Father played baseball at the University of New Mexico
• Plays both football and baseball at Michigan
• High school teammate of tight end Hunter Neff
• Enrolled in the School of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in Communication and Media