Embree Catching On
Embree Making a Name
Sophomore Taylor Embree, who broke the UCLA freshman record for receiving yardage and receptions last season, continues to make spectacular plays as the team's split receiver.
Midway through practice, redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince lofted a pass to the very back of the end zone. Embree caught up to it, leapt from his feet, snagged it with one hand and tapped a toe in the end zone, eliciting a roar from the field.
Embree was not impressed.
"You get chances to make big catches like that, and obviously those are the big ones that everyone remembers, but for me, I want to be known as someone who catches every ball," Embree said. "That's my goal; shoot, I mean if you can make the spectacular catches but drop can't catch a slant in traffic, what good is it?"
He has excited his coaches and offensive teammates with his performance during fall camp.
But he has earned the defense's respect.
"Taylor Embree is an NFL receiver in the making," redshirt freshman cornerback Aaron Hester said. "You can tell. He has the concentration and the hands and everything. And he handles himself like a pro. I see the maturity in his routes."
Everyone missed the boat on Taylor. He was a 1* recruit according to Scout meaning they didn't even bother to evaluate him. Only received 1 scholarship offer and that because some thought as a favor to his father who was a former coach at the UCLA. Even Brian saw him spending last year as a redshirt.
He is easily the best receiver we have. He sure was last year. Hope he keeps it up.
glad he snuck under the radar!! hope the kid has a huge year!!
Exactly! Thanks to sites like Rivals and Scout being dead wrong about this kid, few of us fans (me included) really got a good look at him during high school.
If he progresses from his first year and becomes quicker, I smell a Wes Welker type roll in the NFL. A QB's best friend who catches those much-needed 7 or 8 yard passes on third down to keep the drive alive. His hands always seem to be covered in rubber cement, and luckily we get a front-row seat for the next few years.
At least Embree got a scholarship offer. Remember that Mike Sherrard started off as a walk-on, and graduated as UCLA's all-time leading receiver and a 1st-round NFL draft pick.