Speedy’s Island: Covering Riverside’s Taylor proving to be a tall task

Riverside WR Jaiden "Speedy" Taylor currently leads the state in receiving yards per game, averaging 164 per contest. Taylor has 16 receptions, 492 yards, and seven touchdowns on the year. (PHOTO | RICK SCHWARTZ)

Don’t let Jaiden Taylor’s demeanor fool you.

Off the field, he’s meek, humble, unsuspecting. The junior Riverside wide receiver speaks in a very soft tone. He’s polite and mild-mannered.

On the field? Well, that’s a whole different story.

“It’s like every time he steps out on the field, he’s looking to prove somebody wrong,” said Riverside head coach Matt Rochester. “Everybody doubts him, and that’s what fuels him.”

Taylor leads every receiver in South Carolina in receiving yards per game (164). He’s got 16 receptions, 492 yards, and seven touchdowns in three contests. Doubting Taylor — best known by his nickname “Speedy” — has proven costly to opposing defenses.

So why do some still doubt one of S.C. High School football’s best wideouts?

“People underestimate me because of my size,” said Taylor. “It is what it is. I just try not to let that get in my head. I just keep trying to build and build each day, keep getting better.”

Taylor stands at 5-foot, 4 inches tall. His height isn’t a fact he shies away from, either. ‘5-foot-4’ is listed front and center on Taylor’s X profile page. 

It certainly doesn’t affect his performance on the field, either. In a 37-20 win over Christ Church, Taylor snuck behind the Cavalier secondary for three home-run touchdown receptions (72, 70, and 40 yards). 

In a 42-26 triumph over Greenville, Taylor racked up three more scores, including a first-quarter 76-yarder. On that play, Speedy came down with a juggling jump ball over a defender six inches taller than him. Then, he used his 4.38 speed to evade two more would-be tacklers on his way to a house call.

“I’m just trying to make a statement to these people,” said Taylor. “I want people to see why I’m the best receiver in the state. I should be on more people’s radars.”

Taylor makes a contested jump-ball catch over a Greenville defender en route to a 76-yard touchdown. Taylor had 144 yards and three touchdowns in Riverside's 42-26 win at Greenville on August 30. (PHOTO | RICK SCHWARTZ)

Riverside offensive coordinator Thomas Wilkes agrees. Wilkes is in his first year at Riverside after spending a decade with Greer.

“Last year, I remember watching Speedy catch a corner route when Riverside played [Greer],” said Wilkes. “I just remember thinking ‘Man, that kid can run.’ And for someone his size, he just has a knack for going up and making catches that he shouldn’t. It’s incredible.”

Defenses are having to get creative to try and stop Taylor, too. In a Riverside wide receiver room that also contains 4-star senior Mikkel Skinner, that’s not easy. 

“Teams are getting scared. They’ve been trying to double me and make schemes to stop me,” said Taylor. “Because of my speed, teams used to think I was just a go-ball kind of person. But I’m so much more than that. I’m able to be a gadget kind of guy.”

Taylor is still without a college offer. He hopes to change that soon. His performances so far this season should certainly turn heads. Any concerns about Taylor’s height, Rochester says, shouldn’t turn a college away from “the best decision they’ll ever make.”

“Some school is going to take a shot on him, and they’re going to be really grateful they did,” said Rochester. “Anything he loses with his size, he makes up for with his athleticism, speed, and high football IQ.”

And his confidence. If there’s one thing no one would ever insinuate Taylor is short on, it’s confidence.

“I know that nobody can hold me,” said Taylor. “You can’t go man-on-man with me.

“Whoever the safety or cornerback is that they put on me, they better know that it’s going to be six every time. It’s my island, my world. You’re just in it.”

Speedy’s Island will welcome several high-profile guests over the next few weeks as region play begins for the Warriors. First up on the region slate for Riverside is Dorman, as the Warriors host the Cavaliers on Friday at 7:30 p.m.