CLEMSON, S.C. — After two seasons of playing football and baseball at Clemson, Will Taylor is stepping away from his status as two-sport athlete with the Tigers.
Taylor announced Wednesday morning he will leave the Tiger football program to focus solely on baseball.
In football, Taylor spent the 2020-2021 academic year at Dutch Fork after transferring from Ben Lippen. He helped the Silver Foxes win a fifth consecutive Class 5A state championship
In baseball, Taylor received plenty of attention from MLB scouts and would have been a high draft pick in the 2021 draft. But his initial desire to play football and baseball in college was the dream he wanted to pursue and let that be known to MLB teams.
In football, Taylor played in 15 games across two seasons for Clemson with his freshman season of 2021 cut short by a torn ACL. His career numbers are seven receptions for 16 yards and one touchdown. Taylor was also a contributor on special teams as a returner.
For baseball, Taylor recovered from his knee injury and was on the field for the Tigers in the middle of the 2022 season.
This past season, Taylor recorded the third-best batting average on the team, hitting .362 with five home runs and 46 RBIs. His 48 walks and .489 on-base percentage led the Tigers. Taylor's speed helped him finish second on the team with 67 runs scored.
His decision to concentrate on baseball comes one day after the end of the 2023 MLB Draft and as a rising junior at Clemson, Taylor will be eligible for the 2024 draft.
With Taylor leaving the football program, Clemson is now at the limit of maximum scholarships of 85.