Geneva’s highly-recruited receiver Talyn Taylor ready to build on dazzling sophomore year

GENEVA – Talyn Taylor’s end game isn’t close to being finished.

The Geneva junior wideout, rated as Illinois’ No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2025 by 247 Sports, has lofty football goals beyond high school and college.

For now, though, Taylor is keeping an eye on the present and enjoying the ride that comes along.

“I’m not done. I still have a lot more to go,” Taylor said during Geneva’s first official football practice Monday. “My end goal, I’m trying to make it to [the NFL] so I can’t stop now. I can’t stop now. Stopping now? I can’t really do that. I’ve got to keep pushing for my family. I got to keep pushing for everything. All these guys [motioning toward the team], these guys are my family.”

Taylor holds 21 scholarship offers, including Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, USC and Notre Dame. The 45 catches, 660 receiving yards and eight touchdowns that Taylor put up as a sophomore last season support that attention.

Finding self-motivation isn’t difficult, especially when Taylor knows opponents aspire to shut him down on the field at any cost.

“That definitely [motivates],” Taylor said. “That’s happening a lot. ... You’ve got to stick your head into the ground and just keep working, just keep grinding.”

Having Taylor for another season with second-year starting quarterback Nate Stempowski bodes well for a Vikings team that is looking to qualify for the postseason for the third season in a row.

Taylor also is expected to play situationally at defensive back.

“I just see a super human,” Stempowski said. “He’s just crazy talented with amazing hands. He’s got a good height to him and he’s just one athletic dude. He can ball out.

“He can be a funny guy in the huddle sometimes, but when we get out of the huddle, he’s pretty serious. On his routes, he’s very sharp with his cuts. He’s got some crisp routes. I know if he’s running a route I really like, he’s going to be open. He’s just always a guy I can just, I don’t like anything, I can look his way and he’s going to be getting the ball.”

Stempowski completed 56% of his passes last season, finished with 17 passing touchdowns and 1,332 passing yards and averaged 24 rushing yards a game.

“We’ve been connecting all summer. We have a great chemistry,” Taylor said. “We’ve been together for two years. I played sophomore level with him when I was a freshman. ... Having him as a quarterback his senior year and my junior year, this will be our biggest year yet. He’s grown a lot. His IQ has gotten a lot better in the passing game.”

“I’d say [the connection has] grown a ton. We’re going to be ready to attack the season together,” Stempowski said. “He knows I have his back and he’s got mine. No matter what happens, we’re good to go.”

Beyond Taylor, the Vikings also feature junior running back Troy Velez, who had 632 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore. Sophomore wideout Dylan Reyes, who had 96 receiving yards last year, is another complementary weapon alongside junior Finn Weppner and senior tight end Michael Loberg.

Stempowski doesn’t “look too deep” into stats for his high school football career. Instead, he focuses on leading his team and doing all he can for a chance to compete for a deep postseason run. Add in his offseason work improving his pocket presence, footwork and decision-making and Stempowski is vying for this season to be the best he can make it.

“For myself, I’ve got pretty high standards, but I just want to go out there my last season and be ‘the Dude’ and lead us to state [to] the best of my ability,” Stempowski said.