RB J.J. Taylor

If Rich Rodriguez has proven anything in his coaching career, it’s that he knows how to coach running backs. It helps to have offensive coordinator and running backs coach Calvin Magee by his side, too.

The coaches’ system is often tailored to the talents of running backs.

Steve Slaton, Noel Devine and Avon Cobourne were three standouts from Rodriguez’s days at West Virginia, each at some point rushing for more than 1,000 yards.

A common thread between the three? Their size: Devine and Cobourne were 5 feet 8 inches and Slaton was 5-9. Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey and Nick Wilson have been on the larger side for a Rodriguez running back, both checking in at 5-10.

J.J. Taylor fits the mold, though he’s small — Taylor is listed at a Darren Sproles-esque 5-7 and 160 pounds.

Can he play?

Well, just look at his numbers.

As a senior at Centennial High School in Corona, California, Taylor rushed for 2,149 yards and 41 — yes, 41 — touchdowns. He scored seven times in one game, a 70-29 win. The Huskies finished 14-1.

“The first half of the season, everything wasn’t connecting as well as it was supposed to, we weren’t playing together,” Taylor said. “But eventually we got it together, it got easier and the game started being more fun to play. I had a fun season.”

Clearly, Taylor’s size didn’t matter all that much in 2015, and Rodriguez was impressed enough that he offered Taylor a scholarship long before that stellar senior campaign. Taylor committed to the Wildcats in July, picking the UA over an offer from Washington State.

Taylor ran wild for the Huskies this past season, then starred in the Blue-Grey High School Football All-American Bowl earlier this month in Tampa, Florida. He finished with 114 total yards and a touchdown, and was named offensive MVP.

“It was pretty cool,” Taylor said. “I got to meet some people and play with kids from around the country, and against some kids who I’ll probably go against in the future.”

So now Taylor will be a Wildcat, joining a fray of running backs that includes Wilson, Orlando Bradford (5-8) and Jonathan Haden (5-6).

Here’s a closer look at Taylor’s path to Arizona.

The file: Running back, 5 feet 7 inches, 160 pounds. From Centennial High School in Corona, California.

Recruiting trail: Before committing to Arizona in July, Taylor, a three-star recruit according to Scout.com, had offers from Washington State, Nevada and some schools in the FCS Big Sky Conference. When he committed to the Wildcats, Taylor told the Star that “the campus is great, and it’s close to home. Plus, I think it would be an easy transition into college.”

The numbers: As a senior, Taylor was named the Los Angeles Times high school running back of the year after he ran for 2,149 yards and 41 touchdowns. As a junior, he rushed for 1,657 yards and 27 touchdowns.

He said it: “I wouldn’t be able to tell you (if they do that) because that’s not my focus. I come out what’s planned for me to do and what the coaches want me to do. That’s not anything I think about at all. It’s just about winning the next game and coming out for practice, practicing as hard as I can, making my teammates work better and making them better players.” — Taylor, on people doubting him because of his height