Zac Taylor

positives

Has a thick lower body, but needs to add more upper body muscle tone...Has the functional arm strength to have success in the West Coast offense, but is not the type who can consistently threaten the deep secondary...Has enough mobility to step up and avoid pressure...Gets adequate depth in his pass drops and does a decent job of stepping into his throws...Has a compact release that comes off his fingers with good ease, maintaining that velocity even when throwing on the move...Even when throwing under duress, he has an efficient follow-through...Will force or loft the ball up every so often, but is much better at making progression reads and throwing the ball away rather than force the issue like he did in the past...Has good pocket toughness and gets up quickly after getting bounced around...Lacks zip on his long throws, but has become better at keeping the receivers in their routes rather than have them adjust (showed good improvement here in 2006 over the previous season)...Not afraid to run with the ball when his targets are covered, squaring his shoulders and lowering his head to drive through the pile...Has better placement and timing on the intermediate routes than when going long...Has decent touch on screens and fades, where the receiver has a better chance to compete for his throws...Shows good timing firing the ball over the middle and was a much better progression reader as a senior, showing the ability to find his second and third targets...Can throw on the run, especially from the right hash, where he puts better velocity on his passes than from the left side...Can find the rush lane, but is not much more than a short-area runner...Good at improvising when forced out of the pocket and makes proper pre-snap judgments...Efficient at getting tough yardage on bootlegs, making him a good fit for the West Coast system he has had success with the past two years...Scans the field well and, despite playing in three different offensive systems during his career, he is quick to grasp the playbook.

compares to

KELLEN CLEMENS-New York Jets...Like Clemens, Taylor needs to be in the right system. He is a good clock manager who improved his accuracy and timing in 2006, but lacks the size and bulk you look for in a drop-back passer. He has decent mobility, but won't scare any defenders when he decides to bolt the pocket.

negatives

Lacks the ideal height or arm strength you look for in a starting quarterback at the next level...Gets good depth in his pass drops, but needs to be quicker driving back from center (tends to get a bit lazy with his feet)...Does not have the arm strength to be effective in a vertical passing game, as he makes his receivers adjust and work too hard to get to comeback or out passes...Improved in 2006, but he was prone to taking a sack rather than throwing the ball away in 2005...Needs to improve delivery, as he will revert to dropping the ball down near his hip rather than keep it chest high, making his wind-up and release slow down...Lacks the speed to be a valid running threat out of the backfield... Lacks the muscle definition and power to absorb much punishment at the next level... When throwing deep, he is too inconsistent in attempts to get the ball to come out with a tight spiral...Must remain more patient in the pocket (improved in 2006), as he will generally bolt at the first sign of the opponent's colors...Has good velocity in the short-area game, but his long throws tend to wobble.

2007: Left the Kansas State game (10/14) in the fourth quarter after suffering a concussion.

Campus: 5.01 in the 40-yard dash. Combine: 5.01 in the 40-yard dash

1.71 10-yard dash

2.85 20-yard dash

4.6 20-yard shuttle

7.39 three-cone drill

30.5-inch vertical jump

9'2" broad jump.

Attended Norman (Okla.) High School, playing football for head coach Butch Peters

First-team All-District and All-Conference selection

Set 12 team records, including career passing yards and career touchdowns

Super Prep ranked him as the 41st-best prospect in the Midlands Area and he was rated the 21st-best pro-style quarterback in the country by Rivals100

Named to the Midwest Region's "Fab 40" team and was a Blue Chip Top 10 in the state of Oklahoma

Passed for 1,950 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at Norman High

Also lettered in basketball and served as student council senator. He was a member of the Homecoming Court and the National Honor Society.

Graduated in December 2006 with a degree in Communication Studies

Son of Julie and Sherwood Taylor

Father was a defensive back at Oklahoma (1977-79), serving as team captain as a senior. Sherwood served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater and was the defensive backs coach at Kansas State (1984-86)

Zac's younger sister, Katheryn, competes in swimming in the Special Olympics in Oklahoma

Uncle,David Taylor,was a basketball player at Oklahoma State

Taylor spent part of his 2005 summer as an intern in the Huskers' Athletic Development Office, learning the administrative side of collegiate athletics

In addition to assisting with Nebraska's team hospital visits, Taylor has volunteered his time with numerous outreach activities, including being a volunteer with the Special Olympics, and serving as a speaker at Nebraska's 2006 "School is Cool" Celebration, a motivational program for all Lincoln eighth graders

.Born 5/10/83 in Norman, Oklahoma.