4-star safety Taylor Groves commits to Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. — On the eve of yet another football recruiting “dead period” that will run from June 28- July 24, Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin have landed a big piece of the 2022 recruiting puzzle.

On Sunday, 4-star safety Taylor Groves took to his social media to announce his commitment to Ole Miss.

Since im bettin on myself imma completely double down…. Committed pic.twitter.com/6Gds4O6TFZ

— taylor groves (@iamtaylorgroves) June 27, 2021

According to the 247Sports Composite, Groves is the No. 17 safety and No. 10 player in the state of Tennessee in 2022. His primary recruiter for the Rebels is co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge.

According to 247Sports, Groves chose the Rebels over reported offers from: Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, A&M, Vanderbilt, Michigan, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Baylor, Cincinnati, Utah, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan State, Kansas, Georgia Tech and Colorado.

In the former Michigan commit, the Rebels have found another true hybrid player as the 6-foot 2-inch, 175-pound Groves also plays wide receiver for East Robertson in Cross Plains, TN.

Although he committed to the Wolverines in February, Groves maintained a strong relationship with Ole Miss. So it came as no surprise that after the COVID-induced dead period ended when Groves was finally able to experience Oxford and more, he placed the Rebels back in the hunt!

The talented athlete led East Robertson with 22 receptions for 307 yards and three touchdowns. He also recorded 55 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.

While it appears Ole Miss will play Groves at the safety spot, it never hurts to have a player who can get inside the head of players on both sides of the ball.

When I say Groves is versatile, it’s no joke. He has also put the time in on special teams as a long snapper, kick returner, and even punter.  He had five returns for 122 yards and averaged 36.7 yards on 13 punts.

What stands out on film, among many of Groves’ attributes, is his 4.42 speed — that and his internal clock. He has tremendous instinct and doesn’t flinch or shy away from going head to head with anyone. With his build, that speed, and those instincts, he is definitely going to cause problems for opposing offenses.

And with the first name “Taylor” and last name “Groves,” this young man couldn’t seem like more of a match made in Ole Miss heaven.

Hotty Toddy!

Follow Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo, our Director of Recruiting, on Twitter here.

(Feature image courtesy of Robertson County Connection)