Virginia Tech targets Bills assistant Christian Taylor to be offensive coordinator: Source
The 41-year-old Taylor, the offensive coordinator and running backs coach at William & Mary from 2020-23, spent last season as a defensive quality control coach with the Bills. His offense at William & Mary proved to be one of the most creative in all of football. In 2023, Taylor was honored as the AFCA FCS Assistant of the Year. Taylor and his staff were adept at finding all sorts of unique ways to utilize their personnel.
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The most creative offense in CFB is one you probably don't see much
In 2021, William & Mary led the Coastal Athletic Association with 205 rushing yards per game (No. 12 in the FCS) and had a league-best 5.0 yards per carry. In 2022, Taylor incorporated more plays utilizing two quarterbacks on the field at the same time to go with increased triple-option concepts. Those numbers jumped to an average of 266 yards on the ground (third-best in the FCS) and 6.0 yards per carry to go with an average of 7.1 yards per play overall (fourth-best).
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At Taylor's previous stop, the University of San Diego, his offense ranked No. 2 in passing and helped develop walk-on tight end Dalton Kincaid into an NFL prospect (Kincaid later transferred to Utah). Two of his quarterbacks at USD, Anthony Lawrence and Reid Sinnett, were finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in the FCS. San Diego also became the first non-scholarship program to win an FCS playoff game. (The Toreros did it twice, beating Cal Poly and Northern Arizona.)
Two years ago, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal gave strong consideration to hiring Taylor for the Hurricanes' offensive coordinator vacancy before he hired Shannon Dawson.
Hokies head coach Brent Pry is looking to replace Tyler Bowen, who left Virginia Tech earlier this month to become the offensive line coach/run game coordinator at Ohio State. The Hokies ranked No. 71 in the FBS in yards per play (5.75) in 2024, finishing No. 10 in the ACC in scoring and No. 13 in third-down conversions. They went 6-7 in 2024 and are 16-21 in Pry's three seasons.
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NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
The bumpy, windy road that built Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt
Curt Cignetti chats with Nicole Auerbach about how he plans to build upon Indiana's success last season, what he wants to see out of transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his expectations for the Hoosiers in 2025. For the first time in nearly a decade, Elijah Sarratt didn't spend his summer packing boxes, changing zip codes or learning a new playbook. For the Indiana wide receiver, that alone was a relief. 'I don't like packaging up my stuff and leaving, but I found a great spot here,' Sarratt said. 'There's no other place I'd rather be than in Bloomington right now.' It's a moment of stability that has been a long time coming. Sarratt's football journey — one of persistence, doubt and resilience — has taken him from small-town Virginia to the fringes of college football obscurity, through a carousel of schools, quarterbacks and coaching staffs. Now, entering the 2025 season as an AP preseason All-American and Pro Football Focus' No. 4 ranked receiver in the nation, the Virginia native finally has a home. Sarratt's path to the top wasn't straightforward. He started at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, Va., before transferring to St. Frances Academy in Baltimore ahead of his senior year. From there, he landed at Saint Francis (PA), a tiny FCS school with fewer than 2,500 undergraduates. The odds have always seemed stacked against him. As a high school senior, he had no Division I offers. He sent out emails to junior college programs across the country, hoping for someone to take notice. Nobody replied. He would step into his coach's office each week hoping to hear some good news, but the responses from college coaches were blunt and discouraging. 'I don't know if you can play here. I don't know if you can do this or you can't do that,' Sarratt recalled of those conversations. He was left questioning what his future in football would look like. Yet, he refused to fold under that weight. Zach Browning, 'That's really where I feel like I got my hard work from,' Sarratt said. 'Nobody was calling, but I was still outside every day by myself on the field — grinding — and it eventually worked out for me.' When Saint Francis came calling, Sarratt finally had his shot. And once he got on the field, he didn't waste it. As a true freshman in 2022, he caught 40 passes for 700 yards, ranked fifth nationally in the FCS with 13 touchdowns grabs and started the final four games of the season. He became a FCS Freshman All-American. It was the breakthrough he had been waiting for, validation that his lonely summer sessions in high school were worth it. Even with that success, Sarratt knew he wasn't done climbing. He transferred to James Madison, where he played the 2023 season alongside his brother, Josh 'Cheese' Sarratt. That year was a turning point for Sarratt personally and professionally. Playing with his brother deepened their bond, and Cheese became both mentor and motivator. When Elijah needed someone to show him how to take his game to the next level, Cheese was there. That bond didn't end when Cheese's playing days did. Today, they live together in Bloomington, where Cheese continues to push him daily. If Elijah comes home bragging about the extra work he put in, Cheese is the first to humble him, reminding him there's always more to do. It's the kind of brotherly accountability that keeps Elijah from getting complacent. 'He's not just my brother. He's like my best friend,' Sarratt said. 'We've been like this since we were little … I appreciate him a lot.' Change has defined Sarratt's journey. From Colonial Forge to St. Frances to Saint Francis to James Madison and finally to Indiana, Sarratt has had to adapt to new environments, new teammates and new playbooks almost every year. He has also caught passes from a carousel of quarterbacks: Cole Doyle at Saint Francis, Jordan McCloud at James Madison, Kurtis Rouke at Indiana in 2024. Now, as he enters his senior year, Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza will be his signal caller. By his own count, it will be the sixth different starting quarterback Sarratt has played with in six years dating back to high school. Rather than complain about yet another change, he embraces the challenge. Each quarterback has required him to adjust, to reestablish timing and chemistry. This offseason, Sarratt and Mendoza have built that connection by working together after every practice and staying in touch almost daily. The instability of Sarratt's past has made this summer's consistency feel like a gift. For the first time since before his junior year of high school, he stayed in one place all offseason. He wasn't worrying about moving or meeting new teammates. Instead, Sarratt was able to focus on refining his game, taking care of his body and building bonds with teammates in Bloomington. He even took the time to catch an Indiana Fever game in Indianapolis, enjoying the community he now calls home. 'It's definitely my home away from home,' Sarratt said. 'It's just the community — it's a chill community. There's not too much going on. I go out and people are showing me love and saying what's up; it's just chill.' That sense of comfort is allowing Sarratt to focus on the bigger picture in 2025. His 2024 season was stellar: 53 catches for 957 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him All-Big Ten recognition. Yet, he insists he is not satisfied. 'I'm just focusing on going out and having the best season of my career,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've been putting in the work, and it's just a matter of continuing to put in that work day in and day out.' Sarratt's determined to elevate his game beyond his junior-year production, and he knows what it will take. His offseason regimen has gone beyond extra routes or weight room reps. He's poured hours into film study, recovery and detailed work on his craft. He sees his senior season not only as another chance to prove all those who have doubted him wrong, but also as an opportunity to put himself in the best position possible for the NFL. 'I'm nowhere near where I want to be right now; all I can do is keep on improving,' Sarratt said. 'The goal is the NFL. I don't just want to be [in the NFL], I want to be a guy in it.' That dream feels closer than ever. Once, he wasn't sure if he'd even got a scholarship offer to play Division I football. Now, he enters 2025 recognized nationally and sitting on the brink of a professional career. 'It's crazy how close it is. I try to tell myself not to think about it,' Sarratt said. 'I just focus on game in and game out doing what I have to do, and everything else will fall into place.' What's striking about Sarratt is that through it all — the rejections, the transfers, the instability — he has not let bitterness define him. Instead, those bumps in the road have shaped his mentality. They made him tougher, more adaptable and more appreciative of the journey itself. He has emerged as both one of the nation's best wide receivers and a respected voice among his teammates. Nicole Auerbach, 'I definitely feel like I'm a little bit more outgoing talking to the guys … just becoming more of a leader,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've stepped into that role more and more.' Indiana will open its season against Old Dominion in less than two weeks. Sarratt knows the Hoosiers' offense will once again lean heavily on him. He also knows that expectations are higher than they've ever been. For the first time, those expectations don't feel like a weight. They feel like a reward — the product of years spent grinding on empty fields with no coaches watching, the result of refusing to give in when no recruiters were calling back, the payoff for all those long nights talking football with his brother. Sarratt's road to Bloomington was anything but smooth. It has been filled with twists, setbacks and uncertainty. Yet, as he steps into the 2025 season with his eyes set firmly on the NFL, one truth stands out: The bumps in the road didn't slow him down. They built him. About the Author Zach Browning is a senior at Indiana University and is a senior writer for a website powered by the Rivals Network that covers Indiana athletics. Zach also broadcasts Indiana sports for WIUX Sports, Indiana's student-run radio station, as well as Big Ten Plus, a student-run broadcasting program powered by the Big Ten Network StudentU program. Jordan Cornette and Joshua Perry discuss Indiana's mindset following a historic College Football Playoff run a year ago, breaking down comments from linebacker Aiden Fisher and why the team has a chip on its shoulder. Indiana continues its hot streak when Kurtis Rourke connects with Elijah Sarratt on a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Hoosiers a two-score lead over Michigan State.
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
The bumpy, winding road that built Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt
Curt Cignetti chats with Nicole Auerbach about how he plans to build upon Indiana's success last season, what he wants to see out of transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his expectations for the Hoosiers in 2025. For the first time in nearly a decade, Elijah Sarratt didn't spend his summer packing boxes, changing zip codes or learning a new playbook. For the Indiana wide receiver, that alone was a relief. 'I don't like packaging up my stuff and leaving, but I found a great spot here,' Sarratt said. 'There's no other place I'd rather be than in Bloomington right now.' It's a moment of stability that has been a long time coming. Sarratt's football journey — one of persistence, doubt and resilience — has taken him from small-town Virginia to the fringes of college football obscurity, through a carousel of schools, quarterbacks and coaching staffs. Now, entering the 2025 season as an AP preseason All-American and Pro Football Focus' No. 4 ranked receiver in the nation, the Virginia native finally has a home. Sarratt's path to the top wasn't straightforward. He started at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, Va., before transferring to St. Frances Academy in Baltimore ahead of his senior year. From there, he landed at Saint Francis (PA), a tiny FCS school with fewer than 2,500 undergraduates. The odds have always seemed stacked against him. As a high school senior, he had no Division I offers. He sent out emails to junior college programs across the country, hoping for someone to take notice. Nobody replied. He would step into his coach's office each week hoping to hear some good news, but the responses from college coaches were blunt and discouraging. 'I don't know if you can play here. I don't know if you can do this or you can't do that,' Sarratt recalled of those conversations. He was left questioning what his future in football would look like. Yet, he refused to fold under that weight. Zach Browning, 'That's really where I feel like I got my hard work from,' Sarratt said. 'Nobody was calling, but I was still outside every day by myself on the field — grinding — and it eventually worked out for me.' When Saint Francis came calling, Sarratt finally had his shot. And once he got on the field, he didn't waste it. As a true freshman in 2022, he caught 40 passes for 700 yards, ranked fifth nationally in the FCS with 13 touchdowns grabs and started the final four games of the season. He became a FCS Freshman All-American. It was the breakthrough he had been waiting for, validation that his lonely summer sessions in high school were worth it. Even with that success, Sarratt knew he wasn't done climbing. He transferred to James Madison, where he played the 2023 season alongside his brother, Josh 'Cheese' Sarratt. That year was a turning point for Sarratt personally and professionally. Playing with his brother deepened their bond, and Cheese became both mentor and motivator. When Elijah needed someone to show him how to take his game to the next level, Cheese was there. That bond didn't end when Cheese's playing days did. Today, they live together in Bloomington, where Cheese continues to push him daily. If Elijah comes home bragging about the extra work he put in, Cheese is the first to humble him, reminding him there's always more to do. It's the kind of brotherly accountability that keeps Elijah from getting complacent. 'He's not just my brother. He's like my best friend,' Sarratt said. 'We've been like this since we were little … I appreciate him a lot.' Change has defined Sarratt's journey. From Colonial Forge to St. Frances to Saint Francis to James Madison and finally to Indiana, Sarratt has had to adapt to new environments, new teammates and new playbooks almost every year. He has also caught passes from a carousel of quarterbacks: Cole Doyle at Saint Francis, Jordan McCloud at James Madison, Kurtis Rouke at Indiana in 2024. Now, as he enters his senior year, Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza will be his signal caller. By his own count, it will be the sixth different starting quarterback Sarratt has played with in six years dating back to high school. Rather than complain about yet another change, he embraces the challenge. Each quarterback has required him to adjust, to reestablish timing and chemistry. This offseason, Sarratt and Mendoza have built that connection by working together after every practice and staying in touch almost daily. The instability of Sarratt's past has made this summer's consistency feel like a gift. For the first time since before his junior year of high school, he stayed in one place all offseason. He wasn't worrying about moving or meeting new teammates. Instead, Sarratt was able to focus on refining his game, taking care of his body and building bonds with teammates in Bloomington. He even took the time to catch an Indiana Fever game in Indianapolis, enjoying the community he now calls home. 'It's definitely my home away from home,' Sarratt said. 'It's just the community — it's a chill community. There's not too much going on. I go out and people are showing me love and saying what's up; it's just chill.' That sense of comfort is allowing Sarratt to focus on the bigger picture in 2025. His 2024 season was stellar: 53 catches for 957 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him All-Big Ten recognition. Yet, he insists he is not satisfied. 'I'm just focusing on going out and having the best season of my career,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've been putting in the work, and it's just a matter of continuing to put in that work day in and day out.' Sarratt's determined to elevate his game beyond his junior-year production, and he knows what it will take. His offseason regimen has gone beyond extra routes or weight room reps. He's poured hours into film study, recovery and detailed work on his craft. He sees his senior season not only as another chance to prove all those who have doubted him wrong, but also as an opportunity to put himself in the best position possible for the NFL. 'I'm nowhere near where I want to be right now; all I can do is keep on improving,' Sarratt said. 'The goal is the NFL. I don't just want to be [in the NFL], I want to be a guy in it.' That dream feels closer than ever. Once, he wasn't sure if he'd even got a scholarship offer to play Division I football. Now, he enters 2025 recognized nationally and sitting on the brink of a professional career. 'It's crazy how close it is. I try to tell myself not to think about it,' Sarratt said. 'I just focus on game in and game out doing what I have to do, and everything else will fall into place.' What's striking about Sarratt is that through it all — the rejections, the transfers, the instability — he has not let bitterness define him. Instead, those bumps in the road have shaped his mentality. They made him tougher, more adaptable and more appreciative of the journey itself. He has emerged as both one of the nation's best wide receivers and a respected voice among his teammates. Nicole Auerbach, 'I definitely feel like I'm a little bit more outgoing talking to the guys … just becoming more of a leader,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've stepped into that role more and more.' Indiana will open its season against Old Dominion in less than two weeks. Sarratt knows the Hoosiers' offense will once again lean heavily on him. He also knows that expectations are higher than they've ever been. For the first time, those expectations don't feel like a weight. They feel like a reward — the product of years spent grinding on empty fields with no coaches watching, the result of refusing to give in when no recruiters were calling back, the payoff for all those long nights talking football with his brother. Sarratt's road to Bloomington was anything but smooth. It has been filled with twists, setbacks and uncertainty. Yet, as he steps into the 2025 season with his eyes set firmly on the NFL, one truth stands out: The bumps in the road didn't slow him down. They built him. About the Author Zach Browning is a senior at Indiana University and is a senior writer for a website powered by the Rivals Network that covers Indiana athletics. Zach also broadcasts Indiana sports for WIUX Sports, Indiana's student-run radio station, as well as Big Ten Plus, a student-run broadcasting program powered by the Big Ten Network StudentU program. Jordan Cornette and Joshua Perry discuss Indiana's mindset following a historic College Football Playoff run a year ago, breaking down comments from linebacker Aiden Fisher and why the team has a chip on its shoulder. Indiana continues its hot streak when Kurtis Rourke connects with Elijah Sarratt on a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Hoosiers a two-score lead over Michigan State.
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Miami Herald
After offseason of buildup, projections for Florida Gators' daunting 2025 slate
If it were not for the final three weeks of the regular season last November, Florida football would be dragging into the 2025 season without much optimism. Due to the SEC's scheduling practices, UF faces the same schedule, save for a pair of non-conference switchups. That means the Gators, who faced six ranked opponents last season, are slated to meet seven teams that debuted in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. Four of UF's opponents (Texas, Georgia, LSU and Miami) project as top 10 teams. That is to say, concern would litter Gainesville had Florida not concluded 2024 with four straight wins, including two home victories over No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss. But with the ascension of star quarterback DJ Lagway and a defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally over the final month of last season, Florida should expect to be in contention for a College Football Playoff berth for the first time since 2020. Here is a breakdown of UF football's schedule and how that could happen. Aug. 30 vs. LIU (7 p.m., SEC Network+): The Sharks return starting quarterback Ethan Greenwood, who led the team in rushing and passing with roughly 900 yards apiece. He is an FCS Preseason Third-Team All-American, but the key word there is 'FCS.' While every Florida fan remembers the trauma of losing to then-FCS Georgia Southern in 2013, this should be a walkover. Florida 42-7 Sept. 6 vs. USF (4:15 p.m., SEC Network): South Florida has a good coach in Alex Golesh, who guided the Bulls to consecutive bowl appearances in his first two years in Tampa. He brings back quarterback Byrum Brown, who finished 2023 with 37 total touchdowns but missed eight games last year with a leg injury. This could serve as an in-state trap for UF as it looks ahead to SEC play next week, but the Gators defense should be able to tame an innovative USF attack. Florida 34-14 Sept. 13 at LSU (7:30 p.m., ABC): Nothing like opening SEC play in Death Valley, where Florida has not won since 2016. The Tigers arguably return the most high-level contributors of any SEC team, including quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. While Florida's offense should hum, home-field advantage and the experience of Nussmeier and All-American linebacker Whit Weeks could be the difference for the Tigers. LSU 38-28. Sept. 20 at Miami (TBA): The Gators have 14 players from greater South Florida, so this will be a homecoming of sorts. But it's also an opportunity for revenge after the Hurricanes leveled UF 41-17 to open the season last year at The Swamp. Florida also knows new Miami quarterback Carson Beck well from his Georgia days, and should notch its first victory over the familiar foe. Florida 27-23 Oct. 4 vs. Texas (TBA): Last year, when the Gators traveled to Austin to face Texas for the first time since pre-World War II (1940), they got demolished 49-17 by a well-oiled Longhorn machine. This year, the matchup features arguably the two highest-profile collegiate quarterbacks in Lagway and Arch Manning, and should be an offensive affair. Florida does not have the firepower or experience, though, to outlast the Longhorns. Texas 39-24. Oct. 11 at Texas A&M (TBA): Kyle Field is as tough an environment as any, especially if this game falls at night. The Aggies also return quarterback Marcel Reed, who single-handedly threatened Florida coach Billy Napier's job in Texas A&M's 33-14 win last September. But the Aggies' defense should be worse than its 35th ranking in scoring last year, and also features a pair of former Gators edge T.J. Searcy and linebacker Scooby Williams. Florida 24-21 Oct. 18 vs. Mississippi State (TBA): The Bulldogs are the worst team in the SEC, and last year, they gave UF the jolt of life it needed in September when the Gators won in Starkville 45-28. This season, they will travel to Gainesville, and this could be an opportunity for UF's new receivers, freshman Dallas Wilson and redshirt senior J. Michael Sturdivant, to get into rhythm before the second bye week. Florida 52-21 Nov. 1 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, 3:30 p.m., ABC): Florida has lost seven of the last eight contests of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Gators fans' ears are accustomed to ringing from barking for at least a week into early November. This year should prove to be a more even contest, but Georgia still has the pedigree to pull out a rivalry win. Georgia 27-19 Nov. 8 at Kentucky (TBA): Florida has struggled in Lexington lately, losing its last two visits. This should be the moment UF gets back to its winning ways of a decade ago, tossing around a significantly less talented SEC foe. Florida 40-17 Nov. 15 at Ole Miss (TBA): Florida ended the Rebels' playoff hopes last season in its 24-17 late-November win that has sponsored much of the Gators' optimism entering this year. Lane Kiffin has proven he can reset his offense, so replacing Jaxson Dart with Austin Simmons shouldn't be an issue. Expect the Rebels to return the favor at home. Ole Miss 33-28 Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee (TBA): The Vols vs. Gators rivalry has leaned one direction since the century mark, but with two Tennessee wins in three years, this is a chance for Florida to reestablish its dominance. Tennessee welcomes a new quarterback, Joey Aguilar, after the Nico Iamaleava saga, and Lagway's comfortability at home should help outlast the new signal caller. Florida 21-17 Nov. 29 vs. Florida State (TBA): Florida State is rebuilding from its worst season since 1974, going 2-10. While the Seminoles will see marked improvement, venturing to The Swamp post-Thanksgiving should yield poor results as Florida's offense is much more dynamic than the quarterback Thomas Castellanos-led Seminoles. Florida 36-22 The Verdict - 8-4: Returning a bevy of defensive talent, coupled with an offense that has star-caliber skill position pieces like receiver Eugene Wilson III and running back Jadan Baugh, the Gators should make the jump from middling to wandering near the CFP border. At 8-4, they are just on the outside of the playoff looking in, sitting somewhere in the No. 13-16 ranking range.
