SUBSCRIBE HERE FOR LSUODYSSEYMax
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
As I have after every season of full coverage before, LSUOdyssey presents #6 in our Top 10 LSU Tigers of 2024 countdown for your enjoyment.
OUR PAST TOP 10s HERE
TOP 10 OF 2024
6. MASON TAYLOR
546 RECEIVING YARDS (3rd)
79 TARGETS (3rd)
55 CATCHES (3rd)
37 1ST DOWN CATCHES (3rd)
15 CATCHES ON 3RD/4TH DOWN (2nd)
-1 TD ON 3RD DOWN
2 TDs
At #6 on our list, the often overlooked, unsung Mason Taylor dominated on critical downs & in various key spots for LSU's hot to cold 2024 offense, reeling in a single season program record for tight ends with 546 yards from 55 catches (a whopping 79 targets) and 2 touchdowns as he became the program's all time tight end in receptions (129) and yards (1,308).
Always open when QB Garrett Nussmeier needed him to be, Mason Taylor sealed his legacy as the greatest tight end in LSU history throughout this past fall, contributing monumental plays like his 4th and 3rd down "do or die" grabs during the final quarter vs Ole Miss, proving yet again when the pressure is at its highest, his Hall of Fame blood takes over.
Catching 15 passes for 1st down conversions on 3rd or 4th down (from 26 3rd/4th down targets), Taylor frequently bailed out LSU's struggling 2024 offense, often moving the chains during "must score" drives, and producing big gains that would directly set up his teammates' scoring plays.
I'm sad Taylor leaves the program without a championship, a just reward for his brilliant 3 years at LSU.....but hey, we'll always have November 5th, 2022....
Tiger Stadium....
Overtime.....
Saban's Alabama....
LSU goes for two.......
An unforgettable moment that may have just been the spark that ignited a special run at LSU under Brian Kelly....definitely a 5 second chunk of our lives we'll all remember forever, especially those fortunate to be there....but without the safe harbor hands of Mason Taylor, where would Brian Kelly's legacy sit right now in January 2025??? Would Saban still be coaching???
Without Taylor, maybe none of the Kelly Era successes are possible....LSU definitely don't win 10 games in 2022 or 2023, don't upset Saban and Alabama in Kelly's first year, perhaps Jayden Daniels doesn't win the Heisman without Taylor in 2023 (as a key blocker & receiving target);
Without Taylor's steely-eyed reliability, Garrett Nussmeier would have experienced a much tougher Year 1, no overtime comeback win over Ole Miss, and Brian Kelly's LSU record would look different.
Following in the footsteps of his Hall of Fame father Jason and uncle Zach Thomas (defensive teammates in Miami), LSU's all time producing tight end is heading to the NFL armed with a cavernous supply of experience, well earned grit inside the trenches, certified big play cache, and a well rounded skill set ready for the modern game.
Despite his 3 excellent seasons as a Tiger, Mason Taylor is so good, he hasn't even scratched the surface of what is truly possible, yet....
In 2022, as a freshman, we all witnessed the offense flowing through him directly (playing a key role with maturity & intensity that belied his youth as LSU marched to their first SEC title game in 3 years).
....then in 2023, Mason embraced a more minimized, blocking role due to the rise of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr (as part of the program's 2nd greatest offense)...
....once again in 2024, Taylor was asked to deliver for 1st year starting QB Garrett Nussmeier and responded by producing career numbers in receptions and yards.
That's what great players do....help their team transcend...and that's what LSU had in Mason Taylor over these past 3 years....a transcendent tight end.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2024 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
Commenti