2025 Notre Dame Safety Target Ivan Taylor "Loves Football"

As the son of a two-time Super Bowl champion defensive back, Ivan Taylor‍ was certainly blessed with the physical tools to allow him to play the game at a high level.

But ask those close to the 2025 Florida safety what makes him special and they’ll point to intangibles first.

“Point blank, he loves football,” one source says. “He just loves football. I know a lot of kids say they love the game of football, but I mean, he eats, breathes, drinks, football. Everything to him is about football. All of his decisions made are about the game and how it'll affect the team.”

The West Orange High School star’s approach to the sport is serious. 

“I think a lot of it has to do with how he was raised,” the source says. “I'm sure his dad and mom had a huge influence on that. He takes everything serious. Nothing is a joke. He's very much about business”

Taylor’s dedication to the game is “uncommon,” according to this source.

“Not just his athletic ability, but him as a person, he's a great person,” the source says. “He'll probably make a lot of money in NIL just because of his personality and how he carries himself. You never have to worry about him getting in the media for any of the wrong reasons.”

Of course, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder also possesses the physical tools necessary to land scholarship offers from schools like Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and USC among others.

“Obviously, he can play the game,” this source says. “He's very fast. He's a physical kid. I think he benches close to 280 right now. He checks all the boxes. He made a big improvement from last year to this year, putting on a lot of mass, muscle to help him. When you watch film from sophomore year, he looks very thin, very small. But then when you watch film this year, it's like, ‘Wow!’ You can see a huge difference in just how he's filled out.”

Taylor is scheduled to be in South Bend for the Irish’s game against Pittsburgh later this month. He isn’t likely to have a decision until next summer, according to this source, but the Irish are high on his list.

“I know Notre Dame is one of his top schools. He says he likes the way it feels. He likes the history behind it, and it's something that's very important to him. His religion is something that's very important to him as well.

“He is Catholic, so that's something that's very important to him as well.” 

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