Miami received huge news Thursday afternoon when 2021 5-star DT Leonard Taylor from Miami Palmetto announced that he had committed to the hometown Hurricanes. I had a chance to speak with two of Taylor’s former high school coaches from Miami Southridge who continue to train with him to this day, coach Philip Simpson and coach Patrick Cooney. Coach Simpson was the defensive coordinator when Taylor was a sophomore at Southridge and he still trains with him. Coach Cooney works out with Taylor and Cooney's cousin, former Miami Hurricanes WR Tommy Streeter, and Cooney was the defensive line coach during Taylor’s sophomore year at Southridge.
When analyzing Taylor’s game, both coaches gave rave reviews of the athletic 3-technique.
“Overall, he is a big body, he is a large kid,” Simpson said. “He hit a growth spurt, not only height wise but also thickness. Chest, the back, hips… He is a large kid. He is going to be a really big boy. For him to be so large, his athletic ability does not match it. His athletic ability is something you see with a slender defensive end.
“The kid has the ability to move inside of a box. His feet, his ability to move, his hands, it's pretty exceptional and pretty amazing considering his size and being so young. Kids tend to struggle with being able to move in a big body. His game is dominant. He is very explosive, very fast, quick twitch off the ball, great stance, and has a complete warrior mindset in terms of dominating opponents. He brings a different element and a different edge. Definitely a different human being in terms of style of play.”
Cooney also weighed in on Taylor, who came over to Southridge from South Dade as a basketball star.
“I had a chance to work with him and just be around him,” Cooney said. “It was like a family atmosphere with us. He just was a happy kid with us. He enjoyed it, he had fun, especially with coach Simpson. He was just a great kid to be around and have around with all the guys we had at that time.”
As for a player comparison, Cooney thinks Taylor has some similarities to a former Miami great.
“[Taylor] is aggressive and extremely fast off the ball, he knows how to beat double teams,” Cooney said. “He has just been increasing his technique from his sophomore year. I would say his style is like a lighter Vince Wilfork. People know Vince had the belly, but he could move with it. LT with his size and his frame, he could move very fast off the ball. He is an athlete because he was a basketball kid first.”
While Cooney compared his game to Wilfork, Simpson went another direction and said he reminds him of one of the top defensive ends in the NFL right now.
“In terms of size and skills ability, Myles Garrett,” Simpson said. “Tall, long, great get-off. It seems like whenever he wants to, he could dominate the play. He definitely has a Myles Garrett-type of ability. The wingspan, the weight, the height, and the quick twitch getting off the ball - there's a reason that guy was a first overall pick. This kid is going to bring that same kind of dominance and ability. The first day I met him and worked with him, he had a lot of things to work on, but I went home saying the kid was going to be a top-10 draft pick if he takes it seriously.”
Although Simpson is no longer Taylor’s high school coach, he still mentors him up outside of high school practices.
“We worked out and did some stuff on the field here and there,” Simpson said. “Mike Manasco, his head coach (at Palmetto), him and I have a really good relationship, so he knows about it and he's fine with it. I am all about the benefit of the kid. We’ve done a lot of individual work. What we are working on right now is hands and turning corners. His feet are pretty solid, but when he turns the corner, he gets this elongated slide and loses his balance. We are working on the bending aspect of it and the fundamental stuff. We are putting in work.”
Simpson elaborated on the balance and footwork he is trying to teach Taylor, as well as some other techniques and fundamentals that should take him to the next level as a senior and heading into his UM career.
“Some guys are naturally better at turning corners in a game because you have a body to lean on,” Simpson said. “You use the offensive lineman and his weight to turn and keep you up. So in a practice situation, he has trouble maintaining his balance, which you get a lot from the big boys, especially when they are young. You don't have the resistance that helps you keep your balance. That will come with growth and that’s fine. The kid is explosive.”
“He bursts out his stance and he pops straight up every time. When he fixes that - jeez. A lot of times in the season you pick up some bad habits. If it’s not being self-corrected daily, kids will resort back to some bad behaviors. With him, despite the tackles, the sacks, the get-off, the blocked balls, the blocked punts, the interceptions, he just pops straight up every time. I like to say don't be a helicopter - helicopters go straight up - be a jet and go forward. When he learns to be a jet and go forward, the kid is going to be impossible to stop.”
Taylor also has a great attitude and a great personality, something Simpson credits this to his parents and how he was raised.
“He loves to smile, always smirking,” Simpson said. “He’s outgoing when it comes to people he knows, people he’s comfortable with, but in general, in a crowd, you won’t hear much out of his mouth. He’s a momma's boy, in a good way. He is close to his family, they taught him well, raised him well. He is not one to go out there and really showboat and try to be a clown and try to make a crowd see him. That’s not his thing. Definitely more of a humble kid. I’ve seen him spend time with some of the studs and I’ve seen him spend time with kids nobody knows. He’s got a good personality, good heart, and good character.”
Coach Cooney also thinks that Taylor will take an active role in trying to sway his teammates and other big-time players into joining Miami’s 2021 class, which is currently considered a consensus top 10 national class by all three major recruiting services.
“He is definitely one of those guys who is going to go out and try to build the class because he wants to win,” Cooney said. “He doesn’t like to lose. He is a kid that wants to win and wants to be around winners. That’s just how he is. That’s how he ended up at Palmetto. You have the two cornerbacks who were balling over there, and at that time at Southridge, we had some things that were going pretty good, but he ended up going to an atmosphere where he felt like he could win at.”
While Coach Simpson has been working on Taylor’s technique, Cooney has been working alongside Taylor and Streeter in the weight room.
“He’s up to being able to rep 300, 315 pounds on the bench,” Cooney said. “The other day we squatted 465 and he could go over 500 we just didn’t max out. All around, his arms and everything is more powerful. With all of the workouts, he is a technician with them. He is able to do everything the right way. We don’t have to go back and keep telling him he is doing it wrong. He fixes it and he has been right ever since.
“When it comes to working out, he hasn’t missed (a session) and it shows how much of an improvement he's had in the weight room. I’ve talked with him, and so has my cousin Streeter, about him having to be the leader of his team and even when he goes to the next level be a leader. Not caring that you are a freshman, just be all around be a leader and he is ready for that. He is hungry and he is outgoing.”
Similar to Simpson, Cooney also believes that Taylor still has plenty of growth potential from a technical standpoint, something he sees Miami DL coach Todd Stroud being able to help Taylor with.
“Having more of an ****nal is something he can improve on,” Cooney said. “He doesn’t have to have it in high school because, in his film, he just blows by guys with a simple punch-over or a simple push-pull. Once coach Stroud gets him to have more of an ****nal under his belt, he will be even better. Also being able to diagnose things. We taught that and Palmetto does a good job of film study. You could look at his HUDL and tell he watches a lot of film. He will be able to do that even more in college.”
Lastly, Cooney gave some insight on what helped Miami get back into the mix with Taylor after initially being left out of his top group in December. Cooney’s brother, David “Pop” Cooney, helped lead the charge for Taylor as Miami’s Director of Recruiting.
“I really think the pandemic and then just family,” Cooney said. “Like he said in the interview when he committed, the location. Mom, Grandma, Dad, siblings - I'm pretty sure that played a role. And then, of course, coach Stroud going hard. I don't know what got into them, but they went crazy after him. They went all in letting him know how they are going to use him and things of that nature. My brother does a good job of reaching out to kids locally and reaching out to the coaches because he has been coaching down here for so long. He can get the realistic view on what chances they have. If you look at his commitment letter, he was a Canes’ fan his sophomore year. I remember taking him to games and him being all in on the games.”
When analyzing Taylor’s game, both coaches gave rave reviews of the athletic 3-technique.
“Overall, he is a big body, he is a large kid,” Simpson said. “He hit a growth spurt, not only height wise but also thickness. Chest, the back, hips… He is a large kid. He is going to be a really big boy. For him to be so large, his athletic ability does not match it. His athletic ability is something you see with a slender defensive end.
“The kid has the ability to move inside of a box. His feet, his ability to move, his hands, it's pretty exceptional and pretty amazing considering his size and being so young. Kids tend to struggle with being able to move in a big body. His game is dominant. He is very explosive, very fast, quick twitch off the ball, great stance, and has a complete warrior mindset in terms of dominating opponents. He brings a different element and a different edge. Definitely a different human being in terms of style of play.”
Cooney also weighed in on Taylor, who came over to Southridge from South Dade as a basketball star.
“I had a chance to work with him and just be around him,” Cooney said. “It was like a family atmosphere with us. He just was a happy kid with us. He enjoyed it, he had fun, especially with coach Simpson. He was just a great kid to be around and have around with all the guys we had at that time.”
As for a player comparison, Cooney thinks Taylor has some similarities to a former Miami great.
“[Taylor] is aggressive and extremely fast off the ball, he knows how to beat double teams,” Cooney said. “He has just been increasing his technique from his sophomore year. I would say his style is like a lighter Vince Wilfork. People know Vince had the belly, but he could move with it. LT with his size and his frame, he could move very fast off the ball. He is an athlete because he was a basketball kid first.”
While Cooney compared his game to Wilfork, Simpson went another direction and said he reminds him of one of the top defensive ends in the NFL right now.
“In terms of size and skills ability, Myles Garrett,” Simpson said. “Tall, long, great get-off. It seems like whenever he wants to, he could dominate the play. He definitely has a Myles Garrett-type of ability. The wingspan, the weight, the height, and the quick twitch getting off the ball - there's a reason that guy was a first overall pick. This kid is going to bring that same kind of dominance and ability. The first day I met him and worked with him, he had a lot of things to work on, but I went home saying the kid was going to be a top-10 draft pick if he takes it seriously.”
Although Simpson is no longer Taylor’s high school coach, he still mentors him up outside of high school practices.
“We worked out and did some stuff on the field here and there,” Simpson said. “Mike Manasco, his head coach (at Palmetto), him and I have a really good relationship, so he knows about it and he's fine with it. I am all about the benefit of the kid. We’ve done a lot of individual work. What we are working on right now is hands and turning corners. His feet are pretty solid, but when he turns the corner, he gets this elongated slide and loses his balance. We are working on the bending aspect of it and the fundamental stuff. We are putting in work.”
Simpson elaborated on the balance and footwork he is trying to teach Taylor, as well as some other techniques and fundamentals that should take him to the next level as a senior and heading into his UM career.
“Some guys are naturally better at turning corners in a game because you have a body to lean on,” Simpson said. “You use the offensive lineman and his weight to turn and keep you up. So in a practice situation, he has trouble maintaining his balance, which you get a lot from the big boys, especially when they are young. You don't have the resistance that helps you keep your balance. That will come with growth and that’s fine. The kid is explosive.”
“He bursts out his stance and he pops straight up every time. When he fixes that - jeez. A lot of times in the season you pick up some bad habits. If it’s not being self-corrected daily, kids will resort back to some bad behaviors. With him, despite the tackles, the sacks, the get-off, the blocked balls, the blocked punts, the interceptions, he just pops straight up every time. I like to say don't be a helicopter - helicopters go straight up - be a jet and go forward. When he learns to be a jet and go forward, the kid is going to be impossible to stop.”
Taylor also has a great attitude and a great personality, something Simpson credits this to his parents and how he was raised.
“He loves to smile, always smirking,” Simpson said. “He’s outgoing when it comes to people he knows, people he’s comfortable with, but in general, in a crowd, you won’t hear much out of his mouth. He’s a momma's boy, in a good way. He is close to his family, they taught him well, raised him well. He is not one to go out there and really showboat and try to be a clown and try to make a crowd see him. That’s not his thing. Definitely more of a humble kid. I’ve seen him spend time with some of the studs and I’ve seen him spend time with kids nobody knows. He’s got a good personality, good heart, and good character.”
Coach Cooney also thinks that Taylor will take an active role in trying to sway his teammates and other big-time players into joining Miami’s 2021 class, which is currently considered a consensus top 10 national class by all three major recruiting services.
“He is definitely one of those guys who is going to go out and try to build the class because he wants to win,” Cooney said. “He doesn’t like to lose. He is a kid that wants to win and wants to be around winners. That’s just how he is. That’s how he ended up at Palmetto. You have the two cornerbacks who were balling over there, and at that time at Southridge, we had some things that were going pretty good, but he ended up going to an atmosphere where he felt like he could win at.”
While Coach Simpson has been working on Taylor’s technique, Cooney has been working alongside Taylor and Streeter in the weight room.
“He’s up to being able to rep 300, 315 pounds on the bench,” Cooney said. “The other day we squatted 465 and he could go over 500 we just didn’t max out. All around, his arms and everything is more powerful. With all of the workouts, he is a technician with them. He is able to do everything the right way. We don’t have to go back and keep telling him he is doing it wrong. He fixes it and he has been right ever since.
“When it comes to working out, he hasn’t missed (a session) and it shows how much of an improvement he's had in the weight room. I’ve talked with him, and so has my cousin Streeter, about him having to be the leader of his team and even when he goes to the next level be a leader. Not caring that you are a freshman, just be all around be a leader and he is ready for that. He is hungry and he is outgoing.”
Similar to Simpson, Cooney also believes that Taylor still has plenty of growth potential from a technical standpoint, something he sees Miami DL coach Todd Stroud being able to help Taylor with.
“Having more of an ****nal is something he can improve on,” Cooney said. “He doesn’t have to have it in high school because, in his film, he just blows by guys with a simple punch-over or a simple push-pull. Once coach Stroud gets him to have more of an ****nal under his belt, he will be even better. Also being able to diagnose things. We taught that and Palmetto does a good job of film study. You could look at his HUDL and tell he watches a lot of film. He will be able to do that even more in college.”
Lastly, Cooney gave some insight on what helped Miami get back into the mix with Taylor after initially being left out of his top group in December. Cooney’s brother, David “Pop” Cooney, helped lead the charge for Taylor as Miami’s Director of Recruiting.
“I really think the pandemic and then just family,” Cooney said. “Like he said in the interview when he committed, the location. Mom, Grandma, Dad, siblings - I'm pretty sure that played a role. And then, of course, coach Stroud going hard. I don't know what got into them, but they went crazy after him. They went all in letting him know how they are going to use him and things of that nature. My brother does a good job of reaching out to kids locally and reaching out to the coaches because he has been coaching down here for so long. He can get the realistic view on what chances they have. If you look at his commitment letter, he was a Canes’ fan his sophomore year. I remember taking him to games and him being all in on the games.”
