Ranking the Contenders: Lucas Taylor
Three-star guard Lucas Taylor is set to announce his college choice on Friday. The North Carolina product has narrowed his finalists to include just Clemson, Cincinnati and Marquette, but his finalists probably don’t stand on level footing. Below, Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy tries his hand at ranking the contenders vying for the guard’s pledge.
1. CLEMSON
The odds-on favorite, Clemson offered Taylor in June and immediately shot into the thick of the chase, eventually becoming the frontrunner. The Tigers have a solid recent history of recruiting their own region and seem primed to grab their fifth pledge from the Carolinas in four cycles. If the Tigers manage to land the three-star guard as expected, their 2021 recruiting class will grow to three on Oct. 9.
2. CINCINNATI
Cincinnati, which offered Taylor back in July, checks in at No. 2 on this list because it never seemed to get the same level of traction as Clemson. Whether that’s because Cincy is further away from Taylor’s North Carolina home or because it doesn’t play in a high-major conference is hard to say, but John Brannen’s program sits in second place nevertheless. Don’t rule the Bearcats out. They’ll have to make a late move, but Taylor insisted he was still undecided via text message early in the week so hope remains.
3. MARQUETTE
Marquette is a bit of a long shot. Taylor has carried an offer from the Golden Eagles since May, but the Golden Eagles already have a pair of guards in the fold for 2021 in Stevie Mitchell and Kameron Jones. Taylor landing with Marquette would be a decent-sized shock, but stranger things have happened.