12/16/2022 football Edit

Oregon State lands JUCO DE/OLB Nikko Taylor

Dylan Callaghan-Croley • BeaversEdge

Recruiting Analyst

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Oregon State added a big piece to their 2023 recruiting class on Friday when JUCO defensive end/linebacker Nikko Taylor announced his commitment to the Beavers. He is the 19th commitment of the Beavers' 2023 recruiting class

Taylor announcing his commitment ends a long recruitment for the JUCO prospect, who has been a priority for the Beavers staff over the last several months. They originally hosted Taylor on campus earlier this fall for an official visit when they Beavers took on Washington State in October, a visit that put the Beavers at the top of his recruitment.

"I loved it down there in Corvallis," Taylor told BeaversEdge following his visit in October. He was also a major fan of the atmosphere he saw out of the Beaver faithful. "It was awesome, being able to see all of the chants that they had, along with that chainsaw sound on 3rd down for defense. You could really tell the fans were into it."

Last week, Jonathan Smith made a trip to Hutchinson, Kansas to visit Taylor, a visit that helped seal the deal for the Beavers. Kansas, Nebraska, and Nevada all offered Taylor as well.

While listed as a defensive end on Rivals, the Beavers are looking at him to potentially play outside linebacker as well, allowing him to rush the passer off the edge. It wouldn't be surprising to see him ultimately end up in a HYBRID-type role for the Beavers down the road.

For Hutchinson this season, Taylor totaled 43 tackles including seven sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss.

He'll add to a strong linebacker haul for the Beavers that includes star Southern California prospect Isaiah Chisom and Hawaii product Leonard Ah You. Ah You announced his own commitment to the Beavers last month. If he were to eventually join the defensive line, he would join the likes of defensive ends Zakaih Saez and Kelze Howard as part of their recruiting haul on the defensive line.