#86 Mason Taylor Season 2024
2023 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2022 Freshman All-SEC (Coaches, AP)
2022 SEC Freshman of the Week vs. Alabama
2022 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
In two years at LSU, has developed into one of the nation’s premier tight ends … Versatile and all-around exceptional tight end with the ability to hold his own as a blocker in the run game … Precise route runner who makes catches with ease … Has caught at pass in 16 straight games … His 74 career receptions rank No. 4 among all tight ends in LSU history … Has 762 career receiving yards and 4 TDs … On track to become the first career 1,000-yard receiving tight end in LSU history … 35 of his 74 career receptions have resulted in a first down … 452 yards have come after the catch and 204 have come after contact … As a true freshman in 2022, ranked second on LSU’s all-time single-season list for receptions (38) and No. 3 in receiving yards (414) by a tight end … Made Tiger Stadium erupt when he hauled in a 2-point conversion in overtime in LSU’s 32-31 win over Alabama in 2022 … Freshman All-SEC in 2022 … Two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll … Comes from a football family as he dad Jason played 15 years in the NFL and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame … His uncle Zach Thomas is also a former NFL standout who is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame … His brother Isaiah plays football at Arizona … Majoring in management.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2023)
Started all 12 games in which he appeared … Missed the Mississippi State game with an injury … Third on team in receptions with 36 … Had 348 receiving yards and 1 TD … Caught a pass in every game in which he appeared … Had 222 yards-after-catch and 93-yards after contact … 15 of his 36 receptions resulted in a first down … Hauled in a 3-yard TD pass from Jayden Daniels late in second quarter at Missouri to pull LSU to within 22-17 … Finished Missouri game with 4 receptions for 27 yards … Caught 5 passes for 61 at Ole Miss … Had 3 catches against Alabama (19 yards) and Georgia State (25) … Capped season with a career-best 7 receptions for 88 yards in win over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON (2022)
Appeared in 14 games, starting 13 times … Started final 13 games of the season … Caught a pass in all but one game (at Arkansas) … Finished third on team in receptions (38) and receiving yards (414) … His 38 receptions rank No. 2 in school history for a tight end in a single season … Ranks No. 3 on LSU’s single-season list for receiving yards by a tight end (414) … Both are the most by a freshman tight end in LSU history … Will long be remembered for hauling in 2-point conversion from Jayden Daniels in overtime to beat Alabama, 32-31 … Named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance in win over Crimson Tide (3 receptions, 36 yards, 1 TD) … Against Alabama, caught a 7-yard TD pass with 1:47 remaining in contest to put the Tigers up 24-21 … All 3 receptions vs. Alabama resulted in a first down (twice) or a touchdown (1) … Had career-best 6 receptions for 63 yards vs. Georgia in SEC Championship Game … Followed that with a career-best 88 yards on 5 catches vs. Purdue in Citrus Bowl … Scored on a 32-yard pass from Daniels in the second quarter that put LSU up 21-0 against Purdue … In LSU debut, caught 4 passes for 34 yards vs. Florida State … Caught just 1 pass (6 yards) at Florida, but it came on 3-and-2 in first quarter and extended what turned out to be a TD scoring drive for the Tigers … Against Ole Miss, scored first TD of career on a 1-yard pass from Daniels that put LSU up for good at 24-20 with 8:25 left in the third quarter.
HIGH SCHOOL
Versatile tight end that has tremendous pass-catching ability … Prepped at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in south Florida … Rated with four-stars and as the No. 7 ranked tight end in the nation by Rivals … Big frame that will allow him to also be effective in run blocking …. Caught 12 passes for 162 yards in the opening game of the 2021 season… Started at tight end for the 2020 7A Florida state champion team … Named to the Miami Herald All-Broward 8A-6A first-team… Father is Jason Taylor, 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who played for the majority of his professional career as a Miami Dolphin and tallied 139.5 sacks… Jason was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2017, which was his first year of eligibility… Uncle is Zach Thomas, another former NFL player who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played linebacker for 12 seasons on the Dolphins and one with the Dallas Cowboys.
Mason Taylor’s Career Highs
Receptions: 7 vs. Wisconsin, 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl
Receiving Yards: 88, 2x (Last: vs. Wisconsin, 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl; First: vs. Purdue, 2023 Citrus Bowl)
Receiving TDs: 1, 4x (at Missouri, 2023; First: vs. Ole Miss, 2022)
Longest Reception: 38 vs. Ole Miss, 2022