Former Nevada commit becomes first defensive back in Boise State’s 2023 recruiting class

Boise State added the first defensive back to its 2023 recruiting class on Tuesday.

Khai Taylor, a 6-foot-2, 174-pound native of Pittsburg, California, announced his verbal commitment on Twitter. He was the second player to join the Broncos’ class in the past two days, following edge rusher Demanuel Brown.

Taylor was committed to another Mountain West program: Nevada. But on Sunday he decided to reopen his recruitment. Boise State offered him a scholarship in September.

Taylor said Nevada wasn’t the perfect fit, but Boise State was.

“At Nevada, I would have been closer to home, but when I went to Boise, it felt like home,” Taylor told the Statesman.

Taylor was on campus at Boise State for an official visit on Oct. 29, and he got to watch the Broncos cruise to a 49-10 win over Colorado State.

“It was live,” he said of the game-day atmosphere. “It was peaceful at first, but when the game started, the crowd was crazy.”

Taylor played wide receiver and cornerback at Pittsburg High. He caught 32 passes for 572 yards and seven touchdowns this fall, and added 18 tackles and two pass breakups in 10 games for the Pirates, according to Maxpreps.

He has trained to be a wide receiver since he was 8, but after playing defensive back at the varsity level for just two years, Taylor said it feels right to be on defense.

“I’ve grown in my coverage game and my ability to play the ball,” he told the Statesman. “How much I’ve grown in just two years shows I’m a natural fit at DB.”

Football is a family business for Taylor. His father, Tyrone, was a wide receiver for the British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League. His grandfather, Atlee Taylor, was a running back at Utah State and went on to play for the Detroit Lions (1969-75) and Houston Oilers (1976).

Taylor was born in Vancouver, Canada, and his family moved to the United States when he was 2. He said Boise reminded him a lot of Canada during his visit.

“I love the town, the community and the program,” Taylor said. “How all the players are so connected is really impressive, and they have a lot of history.”

The Boise Foothills and scenery weren’t the only thing that convinced Taylor to commit. He said the chance to play for a defensive-minded coach like Andy Avalos really excited him.

“When you see him interact with the team in meetings and listen to how he talks, it’s obvious he’s focused on a clear goal,” Taylor said.

Taylor is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He also has scholarship offers from Air Force and Army.

Boise State’s 2023 recruiting class

QB CJ Tiller, 6-3, 200, Rancho Cucamonga (California) High

LB Wyatt Milkovic, 6-1, 233, Basha High (Chandler, Arizona)

OL Jason Steele, 6-4, 280, Murrieta Valley (California) High

RB Jambres Dubar, 6-0, 200, Anna (Texas) High

WR Jackson Grier, 6-0, 175, St. Thomas Aquinas High (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

CB Franklyn Johnson Jr., 5-11, 175, Little Elm (Texas) High

OT Kyle Cox, 6-6, 270, Eatonville (Washington) High

OT Carson Rasmussen, 6-5, 300, Owyhee High (Meridian)

TE Cayden Dawson, 6-5, 232, University City High (San Diego)

TE Oliver Fisher, 6-5, 225, Sherwood (Oregon) High

DL Michael Madrie, 6-4, 260, Argyle (Texas) High

DL Max Stege, 6-5, 250, Cologne Crocodiles, Germany

Edge Demanuel Brown, 6-4, 230, Dekaney High (Houston)

CB Khai Taylor, 6-2, 174, Pittsburg (California) High