The colosseum was still. The venue notorious for shaking the ground, bearing sound heard miles away, was completely quiet.
Spectators had a mix of expressions. Some covered their eyes, others stared in what was soon to be disbelief. As the ball was snapped, a collective inhale could be heard.
The anxious breath was held until freshman tight end Mason Taylor secured the game-winning two-point conversion. The exhale departed fans’ lungs as fast as they exited their seats and ran onto the field.
That night in 2022 against Alabama, tight end Mason Taylor solidified himself as a legend in Baton Rouge. Nearly two years later, the junior star has built a resume no other LSU tight end can compare to.
While this is his second quarterback and offensive coordinator, one thing has remained constant: his role in the offense. It’s very clear that the Tigers know they have a stud in No. 86. And while he hasn’t received national recognition, Taylor has become the most important piece to this offense.
Here’s how: he creates constant momentum.
Half of his targets have been near or past the sticks, with him converting on 47.6% of said targets. His average depth of target (ADoT) is 6.7 yards, and he’s often found on second downs.
Given his likelihood to convert for a first, targeting Taylor early allows the offense to stay in a rhythm and not get bogged down with long-distance conversions. Whether or not his target earns the first, though often it does, it still sets up a 3rd-and-manageable.
His ability to be a safety valve for quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, as Taylor has so far caught 78.6% of passes his way, has also increased his production on first down.
While the Tigers don’t often use him to open a possession, with only 16.7% of drives opening with a Taylor target, they have steadily used him on first downs. 38.1% of his targets are on first down; as previously mentioned, Taylor sets up easy downs.
Second-and-short is an offensive coordinator’s dream, just shy of a free play. The easy conversion allows the offense to get aggressive and try more explosive plays.
This freedom that Taylor provides, while not directly attributing to the scoreboard, sets up players like Aaron Anderson and Kyren Lacy for deep passes. And, if second down fails, the team can then rely on Taylor again for the third down conversion.
Among his 13 third or fourth down targets, eight of them have been hauled in for a conversion, including a crucial 4th-and-7 reception against Ole Miss.
That 61.5% conversion rate has made him a key target on critical downs; of his 13 targets, he was Nussmeier’s primary read on eight of them. Breaking down that number further, four of those eight targets when he was the primary read resulted in a conversion, and four of his five targets when he was not the primary read resulted in a first.
Either way you interpret this, Taylor has become a safety net for the Tigers. If you need a first, look his way and he has a good chance of converting – regardless if the defense knows. Say the line falters or the play goes up in smoke – you can still find No. 86 and have a high chance of converting.
This becomes even more impressive when realizing that on key downs his ADoT is 6.5 yards, with the average yards to gain being also 6.5 yards. Essentially, the game plan is to get Taylor to the sticks and toss it to him. Regardless of coverage, he has a 50+ percent chance of coming down with it.
Even putting aside the advanced statistics, it’s clear Taylor has a major role in this offense. He currently leads the team in receptions (33) and is on pace to crush his career best (38).
In fact, his involvement is almost a predictor of success. So far, when excluding drives that end in running out the clock or victory formation, the Tigers score on 69.2% of drives where Taylor is targeted.
Involvement alone creates yet another wrinkle opposing defenses have to account for. Even when he isn’t contributing to the box score, his ability to create momentum and convert clutch downs makes the defense have to focus on him. Targeting him – even if it isn’t reeled in – keeps the defense honest and lets them know LSU will throw his way if it relaxes.
In the Jayden Daniels era, the Tigers didn’t have to worry about who would convert. The Kid would perform magic and turn a 3rd-and-long into a new set of downs.
However, LSU no longer has that luxury and had to find that replacement. While maybe not as dynamic, the numbers don’t lie: Taylor has been critical to the success of this offense and is a major converter for Nussmeier and company.
