Student-Athlete Features
VUCommodores.com — Taylor Made
Vanderbilt Hustler – CJ Taylor: A Pioneer
As a Senior (2024)
• Team Captain
• Played in all 13 games, starting 12
• Finished fourth on the team with 64 tackles
• Capped career playing in 42 games with 29 starts and 181 total tackles
• Also Intercepted five passes and forced four fumbles with 17 tackles for loss in four seasons
• Made six tackles and intercepted a pass in Birmingham Bowl win over Georgia Tech
• Added a pair of interceptions, two forced fumbles and 2.5 tackles for loss
• Forced the fourth fumble of his career versus Tennessee
• Registered a team-high-tying seven tackles in the game versus South Carolina
• Named the Thorpe Award Player of the Week for performance at Auburn
• Made seven tackles, tied for most on the team, and forced the first fumble of his career in the win at Auburn
• Tallied a season-high eight tackles versus Texas
• Matched his season best with six solo tackles in defeat of Ball State
• Hauled in the fourth interception of his career in win over Alcorn State
• Bednarik Award Watch List
• Preseason All-SEC (Phil Steele; third team)
• Preseason All-SEC (Athlon; third team)
As a Junior (2023)
• Fourth team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
• Started nine of nine games played
• Finished third on the team with 55 tackles
• Second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss
• Recorded two interceptions and three pass break-ups, while forcing two fumbles
• Pro Football Focus defensive grade of 80.2 was fourth among SEC linebackers
• Midseason All-SEC, honorable mention defense (College Football Network)
• Recorded a pick that he returned for 35 yards to Georgia’s one-yard line versus the Bulldogs
• Grabbed his first interception of the season (second of his career) at Florida
• Tied career-best 10 tackles (8 solo), recorded two sacks and forced a fumble at Wake Forest
• Sacked the quarterback for a loss of 10 yards and recorded nine total (four solo) tackles in win over Hawai’i
• Second-team preseason All-SEC (Pro Football Focus)
• Third-team preseason All-SEC (Athlon)
As a Sophomore (2022)
• Played in all 12 games
• Made 59 tackles, 7.0 for loss, with an interception and two fumble returns for touchdowns
• Recorded a season-best 10 tackles in win over Florida
• Sacked the quarterback in win over Kentucky
• Returned a fumble for a touchdown against Missouri
• Posted 9 tackles at Alabama
• Returned a fumble 14 yards for a touchdown in win at Hawaii
As a Freshman (2021)
• Six games played
• Three total tackles
The Taylor File
• Lettered three years at Warren County Senior under head coach Matt Turner
• Consensus three-star prospect, according to ESPN.com, 247Sports.com and Rivals.com
• Listed as the No. 31 prospect in Tennessee by ESPN.com, No. 33 by 247Sports.com and No. 34 by Rivals.com
• Selected to play in the 2020 Blue-Grey All-American Bowl
• The 2020 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Division I, Class 6A award winner
• Warren County’s first Tennessee Titans Mr. Football finalist
• First team Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class 6A All-State selection as a senior
• Region 3-6A Most Valuable Player in 2020
• Served as a quarterback for the Pioneers, guiding the 2020 team to an 8-3 record, the program’s best in 40 years, and a third-place finish in Region 3-6A
• In career, totaled 2,989 rushing yards, 41 rushing touchdowns, 796 passing yards, 115 receiving yards, 142 kickoff return yards, 368 punt return yards, 174 tackles, six interceptions and two sacks
• Rushed for 1,767 yards with 23 touchdowns and threw for 492 yards with five touchdowns as a senior
• On defense during final campaign, tallied 57 tackles with four tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, three caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries
• As a junior, rushed for 891 yards and 15 touchdowns while throwing for 304 yards
• Booked 65 tackles and two interceptions during 2019 campaign
• As a sophomore, rushed for 334 yards and three scores to go along with 67 tackles and one interception
• Member of the basketball program for head coach Chris Sullens earning second team all-midstate honors from Main Street Preps as a senior in 2020-21
• Eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in basketball, becoming the school’s first student to finish with 3,000 career football total yards and 1,000 career basketball points
• As a junior in 2019, hit a buzzer-beating three to give the Pioneers their first district title in 43 years, cementing district tournament most valuable player accolades
• Son of Brandy Pinegar and Chad Taylor
• Has two older brothers, Jordan and Dominque, and an older sister, Jasmine
• Cousin Alontae Taylor played at Tennessee and the NFL
• Majoring in medicine, health and society