Darius Taylor (American football)

Darius Taylor is an American football running back for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Early life and high school
Taylor grew up in Detroit, Michigan and attended Walled Lake Western High School. In his senior season in high school, he rushed for 2,450 yards and 36 touchdowns, on 268 carries, while also hauling in 14 receptions for 300 yards and a touchdown. Taylor was rated a three-star recruit and decided to commit to play college football at the University of Minnesota over other offers from schools such as Boston College, Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

College career
Taylor enrolled early at Minnesota in January 2023. He made his collegiate debut against Nebraska where he made one rushing attempt for three yards. Taylor was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for three weeks in a row after his performances against Eastern Michigan in week two, North Carolina in week three and Northwestern in week four. However, after rushing for 198 yards and two touchdowns versus Northwestern, Taylor left the game with an injury.