AMHERST — Lamarriel Taylor doesn’t usually watch a lot of the NFL Network.
But on Feb. 27, he tuned in. From the moment he arrived at UMass, the freshman wide receiver studied how star Tajae Sharpe carried himself and approached his preparation, and Sharpe was a willing mentor.
So when Sharpe, a likely selection in next month’s NFL draft, was on TV at the league’s annual scouting combine, Taylor watched.
“When it was Tajae I paid extremely close attention,” Taylor said. “I watched Michael Irvin speak very highly of him and I thought ‘I saw that every day in practice.’”
Taylor, like most college players, has NFL dreams of his own. To witness firsthand what it takes to get there has been inspiring for the 6-foot-2 California native.
“It’s kind of amazing. It’s right in front of my eyes. Seeing someone going to achieve your dream, who was right next to you in the locker room, is amazing,” said Taylor, who redshirted in 2015. “It’s motivating. Not just for me. For all the receivers. Taj is our guy. If he can do it we can do it. It’s really motivating to keep the receiving corps strong. Last year it was really strong. We’re trying to keep it going.”
Sharpe had 111 catches for 1,319 yards and five touchdowns last year. But Sharpe’s shoes aren’t the only ones that needs filling. Of the 281 passes caught by Minutemen last year, 230 went to players no longer on the roster.
Shakur Nesmith’s 15 catches for 204 yards last year makes him the top returning receiver. Jalen Williams and Bernard Davis, who both sat out last year with injuries, are veterans. But there are a lot of inexperienced receivers hoping to earn time, including Taylor.
“I tried to take all that stuff I learned from watching (the graduating seniors) and incorporate it into my game to become the best player I can be,” Taylor said. “I’m learning every day.”
Freshman Andy Isabella is learning too. In the fall, the former Ohio high school track star was a running back and kick returner, but he’s moved to receiver, a position he thinks he’s better suited for.
“I played receiver a lot in camps after high school. I always wanted to play receiver. It was a good switch for me,” said Isabella, who made a nice sliding catch in the end zone late in Tuesday’s practice. “It helps me use my speed more to get open on routes.”
Most of his playing time last year came on kickoff returns, but Isabella said just being on the field helped get him ready to take on what he hopes is an expanded role.
“It was hard going out there, but it’s really going to help prepare me for this year for how the game is compared to high school, how fast it is and how physical it is,” he said.
Spencer Whipple, UMass’ passing game coordinator and receivers coach, sees plenty to build on in the group.
“We have some guys figuring some things, but there are guys doing some good things,” he said. “The guys are out here competing doing extra work on the field and in film sessions.”
BACK TO DEFENSE — Jackson Porter, who’ll be a junior in the fall, is back at cornerback. He started there as a redshirt freshman in 2014, but moved to receiver in the fall.
UMass head coach Mark Whipple said Porter moved last year because it looked like the Minutemen had an abundance of defensive backs while being limited at receiver.
“He’s been really good. He got put in a tough spot,” Whipple said. “I made a mistake. We probably should have kept him over there. We were in camp and Jalen was going to redshirt. We brought him over because he’s one of our best athletes. We just talked in the offseason and he thought he could do it. He’s done a really good job.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage