Gophers RB Darius Taylor says he wanted to come back to Minnesota

time uh Yes actually I do feel great um obviously I'm in everything going for a goal so I feel great one of the things we talked to the coaches about in the spring was trying to figure out what the workload for you looks like have they given you a number in mind for touches per game they're trying to get you too um there hasn't really been a number but um I think we are looking to do a committee backfield um we got great guys all around obviously you guys see we brought in so much talent into the room so I don't think it'll be a oneman show or anything I think it'll be a committee you mentioned the new faces what are your early impressions as everyone's arrive here um I love them uh I'm close with all of them actually I hang out with them almost every day playing the game just chilling you know just having fun so the guys outside of the outside of football are great in an in football I mean we just brothers process decision to stay at the program and close to thinking about leaving the program um no there wasn't really a decision to make in in like all reality um I knew I wanted to come back I mean I love it here um it's a great opportunity I mean obviously we running the ball so there was really no question in my mind to leave here cuz I mean they put me in the best position to be great and then like I mean I just love the guy so it just never really crossed my mind what were the biggest things you learned in your first season running the ball um I learned that everybody does their job so I mean you got to really you have to really like make plays happen um because everybody's going to be in the right fits everybody's going to be in the right spot so uh the biggest thing is you have to also do your job and that's for me to make people Miss break tackles so that was like the biggest thing do you have the Michigan game circle on your calendar I mean I wouldn't necessarily say just Michigan Circle I mean feel like it's a great opportunity to play everybody I'm I'm excited for the season in general um but obviously I'm from Michigan so it's a great to One play in front of family at Michigan so I probably have a lot of family there and then also I mean it's always fun to play in your home state like always be great to beat the teams that you know that we play against like that I've been watching my whole life so I made it be fun uh I'm really excited for everybody honestly given this strong season that you had last year at the start and of at the end as well what did you feel like I mean you're not going to surprise anybody at this point so you feel like are going to be the improvements you're going to try to make the next level um so right off the bat obviously my health um make sure I'm I'm taking care of my body as best as possible um last year that was kind of like the learning curve coming in um it's really important for me to take care of my body for myself and then obviously it'll be same as last year in my opinion I mean it's time to go once once season gets rolling um DT is going to be DT uh but the guys like it's a slot of the old line and tight ends like they do they play a big role in that obviously cuz I mean they're blocking for me so those are the guys in the trenches so I'm excited though darious how tough was it to miss that time with the injury last year and then was it equally as gratifying to you know put ball on the season like you did in the bow game um yeah it was tough um I mean like I said it was a learning curve so honestly I feel like it taught me a lot it made me understand that like it's really important to take care of your body um that's kind of like being a pro early they always tell me that I need to become a pro right now before I even go to the pros because have to understand the things that I have to do at that time and that'll ultimately lead me there so I feel like that was the biggest thing that like I was going through in that process and then the bowl game was just I mean just being me I mean I was back fully healthy felt great so I was just I was just out there playing with the guys it was a great experience he stand next to Max pretty much every play just what do he brought this offense that maybe wasn't there last um I feel like he's brought a lot of just leaders I mean he's brought the guys together um we went on our trip to Atlanta and it was it was a great experience um it was a great bonding experience and I feel like he's he's really brought the team together and he's become like that very vocal leader and I feel like that's something that we needed and we'll need from here on out and I think that he's done a great job of doing that Max also has an extensive history of throwing the tail backs M you brought that up in seven months yeah I mean he brings up all the time we playing s on seven he'll he'll drop it down to the running back and like it's it's very blatant that he he is looking for us I mean um if it's there he's going to throw it uh he just goes through his progression and if that's that's what his progression goes to he's going to throw the ball so I feel like it's great I love it I love catching the ball so it's awesome what do you think of the new jerseys I love them uh it's old school I'm I'm a fan of it honestly uh I just feel like bring back some of the history we've had here uh and keep going just I love him a going to lie you talk about coming back to play with the guys your teammates mention that how much in the world of like a transfer portal now how much did continuity and familiarity and chemistry kind of matter to you as well staying with a program um it matters a lot to me honestly um great coaches great players um I feel like I've built a family here family away from home obviously I'm not back in Michigan so like this is my family here um um obviously I don't know anything other than Minnesota uh so like this is just kind of like where I was raised in the college football landscape so like it's just it's a great experience being here I love here and I just love the guys honestly out week just what's that be like playing with yourself um it'll be cool I mean I'm excited for that honestly um I used to play like the old NCA 14 so that was fun so I mean it would be cool to see myself in the game honestly that's a great that's a great opportunity and it'll be cool like for my future my kids know that I was in a video game and stuff like that so that' be cool you probably playing at what like age eight I'm sorry 14 yeah I was really young yeah probably about seven eight yeah it's a while ago can talk about that about the N part where this game has come back now because of the opportunities that are there for student athletes um I feel like uh with the nil things I feel like it's a great opportunity for student athletes um it it opens a lot of doors for student athletes and I feel like it's a good thing um our Collective has done a great job I appreciate them very much and all like our supporters and donors um it's affected our whole team so I feel like it gives everybody opportunities and it's it's just a new landscape and I feel like it's awesome honestly team chemistry for sure I think as much time as we have together like I said in kind of past um interviews it's we have very limited time together and um as much time as we can spend together as possible that's kind of been our Focus as a unit um making sure that we're we're spending the extra time all together and not just being individual um I think that's what our you know our key kind of unit to success is this year when you first got here with GG Harbo you were at a 101 type of level what type of level would you say that you're at now with him and how you understand what you want this offense to be yeah I think I think we've gotten extremely close over the past you know five months um you know I think a lot of it is because we spend so much time together in in the room to generally speaking we me I'm in there all day long um on my own on my own time and um I think you know just honestly just talking to each other and you know on a personal level but also as a football level builds it all together in kind of one relationship um I think that you know you know we we a lot of the stuff that we talk about is you know not just football but it's like all right hey how's your weekend this weekend it's it's more of a conversational piece um that translates a lot on the football field because you know ultimately he's going to be in the mic you know for the whole game um and you know understanding how he thinks is going to help our team as a as a success leader or sorry as a unit this year um because ultimately if I'm on the same page as him then our whole offense will be on the same page PJ talked about the academic piece playing their role and decision to come here what are you plan on doing here and how did that play into your decision yeah um so I started off at New Hampshire as Premed I did biomedical science um and that was I looked into you know coming here to Minnesota um you know I started off kind of with you know the general classes at Minnesota for the past spring um which helped a lot kind of get me acclimated to the to the school and I'm still looking into default classes right now um I still haven't got that solidified yet I've been extremely busy but um I'm getting that getting that solidified going through it in practice spr what is giving you the confidence right now to kind of think to yourself you know what I think this offense is starting to come what's kind of giving you that confidence yeah um I think it's the drive that everybody has and the want to get better um I think that's the the key you know piece that a lot of teams don't have sometimes when they're not successful um is people are just like kind of going through the emotions and I think you know what our offense and our team has done really well this this summer has has been attacking every single day with that mindset um because at this point like again we have like 49 days or something till our first game we have a few weeks till fall camp like um the guys in our understand you know what limited time we have um and I think that's been such a huge piece that's played into our success so far in the summer and we'll ultimately give us success in the fall as somebody has come in from the outside how have you seen teammates reflect on last season um I think it all just is is the energy is generated in a form of you know work ethic I think I think there's people who are who are on the same page of like all right we have to make sure that this year is we're attacking every single rep with the mindset of like we don't want to be what we were last year and that's how that's how it should be every single year right we you always want to get better you know from where you start and where you end I think there's there's always should be there should be a growth mindset with every day you you attack um but I I think there's there's a feeling of like a like we we felt average last year you know how can we overcome that um and that's that's by attacking every day it's not by waiting till fall camp and all right we'll figure it out in Fall figure it out first game it's it's attacking the summer days and the spring days in the winter days with that mindset how far has Drake Lindsay come and how would you characterize the development you've seen from him great he's he's he's come a long way um I'm really impressed um from my point of view I'm seeing him as a freshman come in um you know it reminds me of when I was a freshman coming to New Hampshire I was coming in that I I wanted to to be the guy and and and learn so much and and grasp so much and Drake's done that um to a really well really good level um he's excellent in the boardroom he's excellent in the field um I I think that he'll be a really good player um for the univers of Minnesota um he's a great teammate too I think the guys like him a lot and um he's done everything right so far when you were under Center in the spring what did you feel like were the adjustments you had to make from going from FCS to facing a big 10 defense um everyone always talks about the speed um there's always like it's a lot different with speed level and that goes by really quickly um I think I hope I'm hoping I figured it out in the first few weeks a spring ball and I felt like I have um I I think the the athleticism from every position and every position is is the most athletic on the field if that makes sense it's like you don't really have a few people you can pick on anymore it's like you have everybody's there is is extremely athletic and and smart and can play football um which makes it a lot of fun to to play against though because ultimately you know iron sharpens iron and if if you're playing against the best then you're going to become your best explosive games the passing game last year was a story line kind of over the season things they want to improve and never really got to just if that's going to improve this year just what goes into that can you repeat that first part of the question explosive plays in the passing game okay and then the last part was that just like how you can improve that from Master not as many just to what what goes into making that what strength yeah I think it's a lot of it's staying on schedule too I think you can when you can take explosive plays is is when you're as an offense staying on schedule it's hard to to throw the ball down the field when it's you know third and 12 and you have to just take a check down when they're playing drop eight um you have to get the second and manageable second and short third and manageable like a lot of that stuff plays into explosive plays um a lot of that stuff is it's it's hard to see from an external point of view and then when you look at the the nitty-gritty of it like we could we really couldn't throw an explosive there in that point and then obviously it's making the play too and that's coming from both standpoints from from o line to quarterback to receiver to running back blocking or catching or making some two people Miss like there's there's both a lot of things that go into but it's also the small details that make explosive plays happen trip you took to Georgia have you seen tangible results from that with the bonding and just are you guys kind of completing each other's sentences on that was the main goal right I we we got three days of training and you know that's a little bit of the piece the bigger the biggest piece was to to come together as a unit um and you we see now like I I spend most of my time with my guys I mean we were just meeting up there for the past hour together and that's just that's on our time because we like being around each other and um I think we all hold each other to a really high standard um which ultimately makes us want to be around each other because we want to become our best um and you know guys guys who are are taking a lead in that are have shown a huge um you know shown shown huge growth since since that trip and I I can't wait to see how far it goes what has it been like navigating playing position in this offense in particular um I think a lot of it when you come in it's like all right how do I become the best leader I can be um I think for the quarterback position it all starts off the field uh how much work you're putting in um on on your own time with your own team um for navigating I think there's a there's a piece of there's a dynamic of trying to make sure that you're hitting every position level with with the same amount of energy you can and trying to make sure that you're you know giving the the old line the energy that they need the old the the receivers of the energy that they need the running backs and the defense too the whole team it's it's a it's been a really fun process um I love it that's why I do it um I think this team has made it uh very fun for me to do it because they just been so open to to having me as as a leader and um I can't think I'm enough for that what's what's your message to go for fans who haven't seen you feel like passing the game yet what do you hope they see when the line balls start playing yeah um for Gober fans I'm I'm just excited to you know number one is take it one play at a time I think that's kind of my game is is meticulous and and and doing my best to to keep my offense on track and stay on schedule um you know I think that's that's the key to success on any offense um and you know I I play with my team I don't play for you know myself I make sure that um you know our offense is is successful because I put my work in but we ultimately put our work in together as as a unit collectively and you're going to see that in the field um a very meticulous offense that that scores points on that same line staying in the moment you got the Jersey on you got the pads just everything because it's kind of symbolic in the way of what you expected kind of coming to Minnesota yeah um it's it's been pretty cool I've never had my last name on a jersey before um I don't know how to feel about that yet I guess it's it's a pretty cool feeling but um I I think it's I think it's awesome I think we're in you know run a go for the first time is is a cool feeling and um being able to rep the the U ofm on my on my jersey and my sleeve is pretty cool obvious see the opener is what everybody's focused on first you have that that Rhode Island Game Circle all because you played him last year yeah I I think it's a really cool game to be able to to be able to be a part of but I a lot of it's I'm not sure that I focused that far ahead I think you know as much as as much as we've done um we've really attacked with a with a next day mindset you know attack today then attack the next day um and it's it's hard to when you're doing that it's really hard to focus on the games that are that are coming ahead um you know our next goal is to attack fall Camp um and we're going to finish summer strong and attch fall Camp Max it seemed like you guys spread the ball around to a lot of different receivers in the spring you talk about just different guys than Daniel on yeah yeah I think the the cool part is we RI in the whole room um you know with how much we spread the ball around I think that it required everyone to buy in and learn new positions and outside guys play inside inside guys play outside and um it took a lot out of that room um and I they've done an amazing job learning everything and um it's not like it's new offense it's just it's learning new positions and learning how to to move the ball around a little differently um so I'm excited for that I I I think you know the guys that have really bought in you know there's guys like Elijah Spencer guys like new Hayes Christian driver Tyler Williams I could go on and on um I the whole room has been amazing um I think Q has done an amazing job stepping up as a leader um and that's very tangible in that room to see that work on any more country songs over the summer oh not yet I try to play a little bit but it's again it's I'm extremely busy I get home late at night and I'm either going to bed or or you know finishing a movie with with Katie um so it's but other way sometimes in the summer I have a little more time but the fall has completely put the good away and put it behind the bed you you said the prospects as in like in our team yeah shoot we're deep man our depth is is something unlike any other years we had uh we have multiple of dudes it's hard to really count on one finger actually about how many guys can go out there and play football so very depth in my opinion Daniel you recently H to the free football camp for the kids back home what inspired you to do that uh so I haven't quite thrown it yet it's uh coming up July 20th so really excited about that but kind of what prompted me to do that was my Majors if people who know are is youth studies so kind of like revolving around Youth and like giving back to Youth and kind of growing up like I used to like do stuff like that go to little camps just get active and I think like just me personally that's one one way I can get back to my city and just like young people as a whole so you're going to be the number one player people try to take away each week in the passing game and maybe last year end of this year you weren't so how have you kind of try to take on that mentality of knowing the opposing defensive coordinator they're going to be trying to come make sure I don't get my targets right I looked that at that as like a challenge and not to compare this to anything like high school or anything but you know there's comes to a point where you're obviously the like you know a good player in high school and like teams try to and I always like think back like like I used to love that challenge back in high school where it's like everyone knows it's coming to me but I'll still make a way or something like that but uh just taking that challenge head on you know doing whatever I can to help the team reach success whether that be you know me making a play if I if if need be on on whoever or if that means you know running the routes to get somebody else open so it's just it just it comes with the game and uh it's just exciting for me if it's going to click for Elijah this year compared to last year what has to happen he just contined to be himself I mean Elijah is a excellent great player and uh I think a lot of players weren't able to really truly see his like fullest potential uh but I mean a lot a lot of great talk and a lot of you you know great things coming up for him this upcoming year but I think just continually being himself in that confidence is obviously going to be a main thing for receivers in hold but I think definitely like contining to be confident and playing confidently your versatility is something that sets you apart what have you done to become a versatile player over the years that can align from different spots um so like I kind of like look at it like the things that you're good at like become great at and the things that you're not good at become good at you know what I'm saying then take those steps ahead and uh you know obviously I kind of like know my strengths and you know I'm more of a quicker guy and more explosive and and whatnot and then some of my past prior weaknesses may have been like more of the contested catch or the or the jump ball or so to speak but just kind of understanding your weaknesses and be and turning those into two strengths to right in your you know I'm saying your weap Char so as a as a veteran in this offense what do you feel like has been the primary struggles with the passing game what's what's hindered passing game overall I just think it's continually to be consistent not getting thrown off our game uh I don't think is one thing or anything that's too that's technically hindering us or anything but I just think continually to play our game being confident not letting One play you know what I'm saying deplete us or or or or or down us for the next drive or for the cuz no no play there's going to be drops there's going to be incompletes there's going to be three and outs and you know that's in every team so just continually to next play next draft you know what I'm saying one and0 mentality so new teams coming into the conference and Michigan winning the national title a lot of talk with with that you guys like maybe you're being overlooked a little bit in this comment um I mean overlooked or being underlooked I don't think it really matters uh and I don't technically have an opinion on that because I mean a lot of like a lot of people know like we're Minnesota football I mean we're never going to be the most highly touted team ever so I mean that comes with you know the territory but also just using that to hunger you and make you more hungry and seeing that maybe you're you're maybe not seen to have the best year or or or or seen to be reach all this success but regardless as what you know you guys have in in your guys' own culture and those four walls for those of us who haven't seen Tyler Williams yet how would you describe him uh he's a freak I describe him as a playmaker he's uh I mean if you probably haven't you can see the metrics but he's a he's a big guy he's a big receiver and he plays physical you'll definitely be able to see his physicality within his receiver play his releases the way he you know attacks the ball so I just think continuing to refine his technique and continually to get coached by coach Simon and being in this program a little bit while while longer it'll it'll help him develop into an extremely great receiver Elijah called Max a freaking leader a freaking leader what what do you see out of him as you you know spent the limited time you've had with him on campus so far yeah I'll describe the same way like he said a leader I mean I I I describe him a commander General however you want to say it but he definitely takes this offense by the you know by the ropes and he he leads us and he pulls us into a in a great Direction he positively influences all of us in the in the right way IID say were you part of the group that went to Atlanta yeah we went to Atlanta we went to Atlanta uh it was me mecky Kenrick Spence bunch of the tight ends DT all like a few other guys and uh now we had a blast man it was a week trip I got down there I think it was only there for like four days I wasn't able to go to the lake but the field work was incredible I mean the the chemistry that we was able to gain right then and there cuz that was kind of like a lot of my first reps with Max kind of coming in was like I think those was extremely uh those extremely importantance to what we got coming up actually what impresses you most about Max's uh work in the pocket um it's hard to pinpoint on on one thing because you can speak about his arm talent and then you can speak about like all the the ability he has but what for me personally what what gets to me the most is his is his mindset and his mentals is like a lot of quarterbacks like I feel like if a quarterback you're supposed to kind of be able to throw the ball that's your position especially if you're being you know what I'm saying a a highly programmed but and I he's Second To None like his arm challenge is crazy but I think he really separates himself in his mental Game and his mindset and how he attacks like every day with his preparation so how much of a gamer are you you play a little bit yeah I'm a gamer I I'll consider myself a gamer in my Instagram bio if I if it didn't say athlete it it definitely would have said gamer so uh I like to play uh some cod Call of Duty a little bit of fortnite I'll be on some 2K a little bit using yourself uh yeah coming up so this so this is going to be exciting I've seen Aron got that 93 overall so I'm definitely running it behind him and then yeah this is going to be it's going to be dope I think NCA is going to be probably yeah it's going to be CH game changing yall gonna get it how many taret Danel get a game oh with me at o offensive coordinator I mean I'm going to share the love of course I got to share the love but I'm definitely getting I'm get I'm I'm going to give myself the targets man I'm going give myself allow himself to be a playmaker so I'm excited to play it how cool is that you as a gamer now getting to play as yourself in a video game I feel like I'm not really going to be able to feel that surreal cuz you can create yourself in like a Madden game or something like that but it's not going to be the same until you can really you know what I'm saying go and be able to see your face and but I think it's definitely a surreal moment you know what I'm saying that's something that's going to probably stick with me forever so it's kind of hard to like I'm really I'm excited to play like I I'll give you a lot more answers once I finally get to get on on the future in eorts maybe uh hopefully I mean I yeah if they would if if I can find some way to get in touch with that type of community I would definitely love to do that so that's that'd be dope any more all right sweet thank you