It’s time for Kelvin Taylor to step up.
He is no longer sitting behind Matt Jones or Mack Brown.
He’s going to have to be the workhorse out of the backfield this season.
He has to be more consistent heading into his third season and not have flashes of greatness in one game, and then completely disappear in the next.
Coach Jim McElwain brought Tim Skipper with him from Colorado State to coach Taylor and the other running backs.
And so far this Spring, Skipper has seen positive things from Taylor.
"KT has looked very good. He has real good feet, that’s the number one thing that sticks out," Skipper said.
"The kid is a competitor. There hasn’t been a practice where he hasn’t showed up. He brings his ‘A’ game every day. He lets the defense know about it."
In his first two seasons, Taylor rushed for 1,073 yards on 227 carries.
Last season, Taylor ran for 565 yards and six touchdowns.
But Taylor racked up most of his yardage in one game against Georgia, when he rushed for a career-high 197 yards with two touchdowns.
In the other 11 games he played in, Taylor rushed for a combined 368 yards and didn’t rush for more than 50 yards on seven different occasions.
The statistics speak for themselves, but his inconsistent season last year isn’t getting in the way of Taylor trying to become a better player.
"He just brings a lot of energy, I enjoy coaching him," Skipper said. "He’s here whether we’re meeting in the morning or practicing later in the evening it doesn’t matter. That kid is going after it. A real student of the game, works real hard and it’s been a joy coaching him."
Doug Nussmeier has been the offensive coordinator for a number of talented running backs who have run for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
At Alabama, Nussmeier was the coordinator who saw T.J. Yeldon and Eddie Lacy pass the century mark in yardage, with Yeldon doing it twice.
Throw in McElwain who was the offensive coordinator for two Heisman finalists: Mark Ingram won the award in 2009 and Trent Richardson finished in third.
Both of those guys have the background that Skipper doesn’t.
This year will be the first time since Skipper was at Fresno State from 2006-2008 that he will be coaching the running back position.
But under the leadership of McElwain and Nussmeier, Skipper is coaching a position in a style that tailors to the running backs on the team.
"This offense here is just an offense that’s really, to be honest, just a running back’s dream," Taylor said when speaking to the media last week. "It’s perfect for a back. Zone read, one cut, downhill, catch the ball out of the backfield. You got so many things you can do in this offense, and I think it just fits me perfect, so I’m excited."
With the history of an offense that’s been prolific in producing some of the best running backs in college the past few years, he will have big expectations on his shoulders.
Taylor, however, isn’t lacking any confidence.
"This is going to be my best season I’m going to have at Florida," Taylor said. "I feel like this right here is going to be my best season. I’m just so excited. My first two years, I mean they were decent, but I know I can do way better.
"So that’s all I’m looking forward to."
Follow Luis Torres on Twitter @LFTorresIII
Kelvin Taylor celebrates during Florida's 38-20 win against Georgia on Saturday at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.
