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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Minnesota tailback Darius Taylor will return for the Gophers on Saturday, sources told ESPN.
Taylor missed the season-opener against North Carolina with a leg injury. Sources told ESPN he’s set to start for Minnesota against Rhode Island, marking the return of one of the Big Ten’s most talented tailbacks.
Taylor emerged as one of the Big Ten’s top tailbacks last September, jumping out as the league’s leading rusher before injuries cut short his freshman year. His average of 133.2 rushing yards per game would have led the nation, but he didn’t have enough games to qualify.
Taylor managed to finish the season with 799 yards, despite playing in just six games. The yardage total was the fifth most by a Minnesota freshman in school history.
Taylor is a 6-foot, 215-pound running back from Detroit. He scored five touchdowns in his six games last year and capped the season with 208 yards rushing in the Quick Lane Bowl win over Bowling Green.
In its opening loss to UNC, Marcus Major took a majority of the carries for Minnesota and ran for 73 yards on 20 attempts. The Oklahoma transfer scored a touchdown and announced himself as a presence in Minnesota’s tailback rotation.