Rising Star: OL/DL Jaxson Taylor, Community School for Apprenticeship Learning (Baton Rouge, LA)

Photo by Jason Saucier

We continue our Rising Star series with a wrecking ball on the line from Team South, Jaxson Taylor. Taylor finished a great 8th grade season at the Community School for Apprenticeship Learning, helping lead CSAL to an undefeated season. After that, he played in our Junior High All-American game, where he was living in the opposing backfield. He finished the series with a team high 7.5 tackles and 1 impressive sack, which was enough to take home defensive MVP for Team South.

Jaxson has all the tools needed to become a feared defensive lineman in the state of Louisiana for years to come. Already at 6’2″ 265 lbs as an 8th grader, he towers over and crushes most of his competition at the Junior High level. With that size, he’ll be poised to contribute at the High School level immediately, but it’s his motor that stands out the most. He moves like a truck speeding on the highway, always moving his feet and driving his weight through his opponent. The first step is impressive, but so is his last step – the willingness to play all the way through the whistle. Some of his tackles at the bowl game were effort tackles, where he would not give up on the play even if he was seemingly out of it, coming back from behind to contribute to the tackle.

It’s this combination of talent and hard work that makes him a great prospect in the Baton Rouge area. He was CSAL’s defensive MVP in the 7th grade, and he’s already looking forward to the potential of playing in another bowl game when he’s older. He talks a lot about leadership, and that’s exactly what he seems ready to become at the high school level: a leader.

Team South RB Da’Michael Hart (right) and OL Jaxson Taylor (left) (Photo by Billy Metcalf)

What got you into football in the first place?

I was playing football when I was a little kid. I didn’t play tackle football early, but I started playing football in general when I was 4 years old. And then I just started playing.

What are your goals moving forward in football?

I just want to get to the NFL.

What are your overall thoughts on the bowl game and winning defensive MVP for your team?

Even though we lost one game, we still came out and won and played like a team. We were teammates on the field. Every time I made a tackle, my teammates helped me up, and when they got one, I did the same thing. We were showing leadership out there.

What is your favorite game you have played? What stood out about it and why?

I would say it is the bowl game that we had. I played with new people.

What is a college or NFL player you like to model your game off of?

Nobody. I am my own player on the field.

What are you trying to improve on with your game when you get to high school?

I have to get better with my game. In high school, the other boys will be bigger with me, so I have to get better. Then I need to get better techcnique.

Are there any other sports you play besides football?

I play basketball too, where I play center.

What teams do you root for when watching sports?

I mostly root for players, but if I do root for a team, I’ll root for the Bills.

What do you want to do once your playing days are over?

I want to get into the shoe business. People need shoes, and I can help them out.

Finally, why should fans keep their eye on you as a rising star?

When they see me on the field, they’ll be like, “oh, is this who they are talking about?” And I’ll tell them “Yeah, and if you want to get better like me, come train with me.”

*We are about to begin the 2025 Gridiron Football Season and if you are a player that wants to be a part of the 2025 Gridiron Football Junior High All-American Bowl Game or the 2025 Gridiron Football Senior All-American Bowl Game, you must be at our events to be considered for the game. This will apply especially to Louisiana athletes since we have growing interest from outside the state. We are inviting top performers from our 7v7 tournaments, our elite camps, and finally, our Gridiron Football Media Day. We already have our first 7v7 tournament and two elite camps posted below. To register, you can click any of the pictures below!

Click the image to get your team registered for the Battle on the Bayou 7v7 tournament on February 1st and 2nd!
Click the image to order your Elite Camp tickets for the Lamar Dixon Expo Center Camp on March 8th.
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