Cam Taylor played multiple positions in high school, and he's going to get looks at multiple spots in Nebraska's defensive backfield.
But the sophomore's approach to his first spring football season boils down to one word.
"Ball. That's it," Taylor said when asked what he's hoping to get out of spring ball. "Show everybody what I can do. I gave everybody a little taste of what I can do, but this spring, I know a little more, I can do a little more, and I can play comfortable."
That "little taste" came in small bites throughout the 2018 season when Taylor contributed on special teams and defense. He recovered a fumbled punt against Troy and made a key pass breakup in the second half against Michigan State.
Now Taylor seeks to become a mainstay in the secondary, and he'll have every opportunity to take on a bigger role.
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Coaches have the 6-foot 205-pounder working at cornerback (pushing Dicaprio Bootle and Lamar Jackson) and safety, and Taylor said he'd be comfortable playing at the nickel spot, too.
"We had a lot of guys leaving this past year," Taylor said, referring to safeties Antonio Reed, Tre Neal and Aaron Williams. "I'm very versatile, so I can do a lot of things just to help out.
"It doesn't matter where I play on the field, as long as I make an impact."
That versatility — Taylor also was a standout quarterback in high school — is giving defensive backs coach Travis Fisher a lot to think about.Â
"I have problems with knowing where to place Cam," Fisher said. "He can be a safety, an elite one, or he could be the same thing at corner, which is a good problem."
Taylor didn't arrive on campus until last May. But he made an early impression on coaches and was the only true freshman defender to play in the season opener against Colorado. But Taylor admits, "it could have been a lot better," adding it was tough trying to digest everything at a fast clip.
And though he has yet to be in Lincoln for a full year, Taylor has already shown an eagerness to lead.
Guys like Bootle, a junior, and Jackson, a senior, are leading the way in the DBs room, but the sophomore Taylor wants to "add a little more kick to it."
That extra kick included taking it up a notch in offseason workouts. Nebraska coach Scott Frost earlier this year praised the defensive backs' work in the weight room. Taylor was among the players wanting to change perception.
"We just flipped a switch, honestly," Taylor said. "We just stay close together and we tried to change the culture, really, because we know in the past year they have talked about DBs at Nebraska. We just want to change that."
Taylor's job duties go beyond playing defensive back. He takes pride in helping the Huskers appeal to recruits. Among the players Taylor made sure to sell the Huskers hard to: Wan'Dale Robinson.
Clearly, Husker coaches thought Taylor could help in other ways.Â
"I just showed them that I'm going to be a leader and I wasn't going to accept nothing bad," Taylor said. "I had to show them when I first got here I was going to step up as a freshman and show everybody that I'm coming here to work, and they saw that, so they came to me and said, 'OK, we want you to recruit this guy,' and I just kept recruiting."
When it comes to the field, Fisher believes Taylor will find his home, whether it's corner or safety.
"Right now, you give him six plays, three at safety and three at corner; it's hard to figure it out," Fisher said. "That's a credit to Cam and what he's done in the weight room. He's a sophomore. He's a young kid, but he's not young anymore. He's played a lot."