Minnesota star running back Darius Taylor named to Maxwell Award watch list
Minnesota Golden Gophers star running back Darius Taylor is set to enter his junior season this fall. After accumulating over 2,200 yards from scrimmage in his first two seasons, the Walled Lake Western native from Michigan has been named to the Maxwell Award watch list for the 2025 season.
Taylor, an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in each of the last two seasons, started in 11 of 12 games played last season, missing only the Golden Gophers’ season opener against North Carolina. Over 12 games played, Taylor would total 205 carries for 986 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also had a Minnesota school record 54 receptions out of the backfield for 350 yards and an additional pair of touchdowns.
His 1,336 yards from scrimmage in 2024 ranked eighth in the Big Ten. Despite lackluster offensive line play in front of him, Taylor was still able to cross the 100-yard mark in five of his 12 games played last season.
“He gives us a completely different dynamic with the running back (position) at the University of Minnesota of what we can do instead of just run inside zone, run outside zone, 40 carries, go get your 220,” P.J. Fleck said at Big Ten Media Days last week in Las Vegas.
Through two seasons, Taylor’s 2,227 total yards from scrimmage already ranks 22nd in program history, and if he can at least match his 2024 total of 1,336 yards, he’ll easily find himself within the program’s top 10 all-time in yards from scrimmage.
While Taylor is already one of the Big Ten’s best tailbacks, the Michigan native wanted to become a better all-around running back this offseason.
“I wanted to become a more defined running back,” Taylor told Gophers Nation during Big Ten Media Days. “Just making myself better at cleaning up the edges in all aspects of the game; the pass game, run game, pass protection, understanding the scheme. I just wanted to clean up everything, make sure everything was honed in because that’s important to be able to understand those things.”
