December 2023, Leonard Taylor III signed with Adie von Gontard at Young Money APAA Sports. They are looking forward to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Leonard Taylor III Leaving Miami for the NFL
"Miami hit gold with the 2024 verbal commitment of Justin Scott. That’s a good thing with talented junior defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III foregoing his senior season with Miami.
He’s signed with Lil Wayne’s company Young Money APAA.
During his time with the Hurricanes, Taylor saw action during the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons. Here are his career statistics:
65 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 53 quarterback pressures, 1 pass breakup, and 1 interception
Miami has a long history of top interior defensive linemen. Taylor is the latest. Good luck to the former Miami (Fla.) Palmetto and Miami Hurricane defensive tackle as he heads to the NFL."
-Fan Nation, Sports Illustrated, Brian Smith
Hurricanes standout Leonard Taylor III expected to enter NFL draft, signs with Lil Wayne’s agency
Defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III arrived at Miami as a highly touted prospect, and he appears poised to leave as a likely high NFL draft pick.
The Hurricanes standout is expected to enter the 2024 NFL draft. He posted a picture of himself signing with rapper Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA Sports agency on Instagram and retweeted it on X (formerly known as Twitter), signaling the end of his three-year college career.
He also signaled his intentions to leave earlier in the week when he posted, “I gave my all,” with the hashtag “#GoCanes.” However, he has not officially announced his plans to enter the draft.
Taylor was a star at Miami Palmetto High, and 247Sports rated him a five-star prospect and the No. 4 player in the 2021 class.
He played in six games as a freshman, flashing excellence in his time on the field. Taylor played in all 12 games as a sophomore and in 10 games as a junior this season, missing two games due to injuries. Pro Football Focus gave him a 75.1 defensive grade with an 82 pass-rush grade. Taylor finishes his college career with 64 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. He also had one interception.
ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Taylor as the No. 3 defensive tackle in this year’s draft class.
Two other Hurricanes underclassmen are expected to enter the NFL draft: safeties Kamren Kinchens and James Williams, though neither has announced their decisions yet.