Darius Taylor making strong case to be Big Ten’s top rusher this fall

Although the Big Ten will have several elite running backs this upcoming season, Minnesota is fielding one that’s capable of taking the conference by storm.

Darius Taylor has accomplished a lot over the past two years with the Golden Gophers. After all, he has 1,785 yards on the ground and 15 rushing scores, despite only playing in 18 games during that span. Now he’s due for an All-Big Ten caliber campaign this fall, and eager to make a statement to anyone out there still sleeping on him.

He’s a big bruiser too, standing 6-foot-1, weighing 215 pounds and a natural at punishing would-be tacklers. Coach P.J. Fleck has had a 1,000-yard rusher in four of the past seven seasons, and feels the best is yet to come for Taylor.

“Versatile is the best word I can describe about him,” Fleck said. “Not only can he run the ball really well, but he can catch the ball out of the backfield.”

Taylor can hurt defenses in multiple ways with his rare blend of speed, power and soft hands. There’s a reason why he caught 54 passes in 2024. He has the ability to run through or maneuver around a defenders, and rarely goes down after initial contact. Taylor is looking forward to using his versatility to help the offense score points. Rather Runnings Back Coach Jayden Everett wants to use him as a workhorse, or share the load, he’s all for improvement and hasn’t set any goals for himself.

“A lot of it is understanding how to define my game, and the small things I need to change,” Taylor said. “The little things in the pass game protection-wise, the little things in the run game that me and Coach Everett wnet over, and it’s been really fun to work on.”

Minnesota ranked 109th in the FBS in rushing offense last season. Still, Taylor led the Golden Gophers in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and finished second on the team in receptions. The former four-star prospect put together some stellar performances too. Taylor rushed for 124 yards, and scored three total touchdowns against Nevada. His 144 yards on the ground in the victory over USC were a season-high. Not to mention he eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards in wins over Illinois, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech.

Taylor is trying to set the bar high this fall, and feels he’s in the best shape of his life approaching his junior campaign.

“I feel great, I’m the biggest, strongest and fastest I’ve ever been,” he said. “So I’m in a great place right now.”

Staying healthy will be challenging in the physical Big Ten, but Taylor believes he’s durable enough to absorb all of the hits he’s going to take. There’s no pressure either, and in his mind running backs have to embrace the physicality. Mohamed Ibrahim, who’s the program’s all-time leading rusher, is a phone call away to help Taylor improve his mental toughness, and he credits him for his work ethic.

Bottom line, Taylor wants to be a complete back, and make plays in all facets of the game. He molds his game after NFL star rusher Alvin Kamara, and thinks they have similar rushing styles. Taylor also takes care of business in the classroom, considering he’s an Academic All-Big Ten performer. Minnesota is flying under the radar, but with a schedule that includes road games against Ohio State and Oregon, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to make some noise.

“We talk about being delusional, somebody else may not believe in what we can do, but we believe that we can do anything, so I’m really excited to get the season going, and we have a great team.”