Kelly Lyell

kellylyell@coloradoan.com

MarQuese Taylor, a cornerback and receiver who originally committed to California, said Thursday he’ll instead sign with CSU next month.

Taylor made the announcement on Twitter about 90 minutes after Colorado State University coach Mike Bobo tweeted that he was back on the road recruiting and that there was “Big News for RamNation coming tonight!”

California fired coach Sonny Dykes on Monday and has not yet named a replacement. Taylor had committed to Cal in September following a recruiting visit to the school.

Taylor couldn’t immediately be reached for comment, and NCAA rules prohibit college coaches or other school officials or players from discussing specific recruits until they sign financial-aid agreements or a national letter of intent.

Taylor will be able to formally sign with the Rams on Feb. 1, national signing day.

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The 5-foot-11, 177-pounder played cornerback and wide receiver last fall as a senior at Lovejoy (Georgia) High School. He caught 28 passes for 574 yards and nine touchdowns as a receiver. His defensive statistics were not available.

Lovejoy went 7-5 and advanced to the second round of the Georgia Class 6A playoffs.

Taylor’s Hudl profile says he has 4.45-second speed in the 40-yard dash and that he can bench press 205 pounds and squat 360.

He’s rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports and Scout and had offers from more than 20 schools, including Cal, Purdue and Tennessee.

Taylor is the fourth player from Georgia, Bobo’s home state, who has given the Rams a verbal commitment for the 2017 signing class and the 21st player overall.

Kalem Reddix, a receiver from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, who had committed to CSU in October told the Sun Herald newspaper of Gulfport, Mississippi, on Monday that he was headed to a junior college program instead and had enrolled in classes that began this week at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news

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