Michigan abandons commitment of 4-star DB Ivan Taylor, son of Ike Taylor, from Notre Dame

Four-star safety Ivan Taylor, son of former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, has switched his commitment from Notre Dame to Michigan for the class of 2025.

Taylor, the No. 54 prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings, originally committed to the Fighting Irish in December, choosing over Florida State, USC, Michigan, Wisconsin and others. Taylor continued to make recruiting trips, including official visits to Alabama and Michigan in June, before announcing his intention to sign with Michigan instead of Notre Dame.

Taylor was the second-best prospect in Notre Dame’s class, trailing only quarterback Deuce Knight overall. He is also the second-best prospect in Michigan’s class, trailing defensive end Nate Marshall, the 43rd-ranked prospect.

Taylor attends West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, where he recorded 50 tackles, three forced fumbles and one interception last season. His father played for the Steelers from 2003 to 2014 and was a starter in three Super Bowls.

BREAKING NEWS: Four-star safety Ivan Taylor has transferred from Notre Dame to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’0 180 S from Winter Garden, FL had been with the Fighting Irish since December.

Is the son of former NFL CB and two-time Super Bowl champion Ike… pic.twitter.com/Kz8VH3u6pt

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 8, 2024

How Taylor is influencing Michigan’s class

This recruiting success has double meaning for the Wolverines, as they secured one of their top defensive linemen while also taking a player away from one of their rivals. Michigan and Notre Dame face each other quite often in recruiting, and both programs have been in the hunt for JaDon Blair, a four-star safety from Winston Salem, NC, who committed to Notre Dame last week. Michigan returned the favor this week by trading away Taylor, one of the best athletes in the country at his position. The Wolverines also have a commitment from top-100 prospect Kainoa Winston, but since Winston can play nickel, there is clearly a role for Taylor at safety in the class.

Although Michigan’s class is still small, the top of the class is getting stronger. The Wolverines have commitments from three players in the top 100 of the composite rankings after signing one top-100 player last cycle and none in the class of 2023. Taylor’s signing is another win for new defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan, who helped the Wolverines get Winston and four players out of the transfer portal. Cornerbacks are still needed in this class for Michigan, but the future of the secondary looks bright. — Austin Meek, Michigan beat writer

What does the loss of Taylor mean for Notre Dame?

As good as Notre Dame has been at recruiting players to protect itself from the loss of Taylor, his departure is still a huge blow to the Irish class. While he wasn’t the best talent in Notre Dame’s haul, he was still a top-five prospect. It seemed like the Irish should have, or could have, held onto the Florida talent considering the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ties to Notre Dame, with the sons of Plaxico Burress and Jerome Bettis committed and the son of Ryan Clark on the roster.

Instead, Notre Dame lost Taylor to its worst possible rival in Michigan. Signing Blair last week helps soften the blow, as the Irish still have commitments from three top-200 defensive backs for the first time in the 247Sports rankings era. Only Notre Dame had four under contract before Taylor’s move. In the race to close the gap with Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia in terms of raw talent, holding on to talent as good as Taylor is a must. Notre Dame has failed to do that, even though it still has plenty of top-tier talent on the board.

If Notre Dame decides it needs another safety of his class, the Irish will likely sign Brandon Logan of Fort Wayne, who currently plays for the Vanderbilt baseball team. — Pete Sampson, Notre Dame sportswriter

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