Talyn Taylor may have just answered UGA’s biggest offensive question vs. Oklahoma

ATHENS — No matter who you ask on Georgia’s team, they’ll tell you that Talyn Taylor has been making spectacular catches routinely in practice.

Against Oklahoma, he showed the general public why this team is so high on the second-year receiver.

“You know, he’s been making plays all camp and all this week, and I thought he did a great job today,” quarterback Gunner Stockton said. “It’s fun to see him celebrate and, you know, make big explosives.”

Taylor finished the game with four receptions for a career-best 110 yards and a touchdown in Georgia’s 41-13 win over Oklahoma.

The second-year receiver had three catches of at least 30 yards, with each perhaps more impressive than the last.

He hauled in a 30-yard pass on Georgia’s first scoring drive of the day, winning on a corner route where Stockton made a strong throw. Georgia ended the drive with a short Chauncey Bowens touchdown run.

To the naked eye, his second explosive catch resembled a play from the Alabama game a season ago. Only instead of dropping Stockton’s pass, he pulled it in for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 14-0.

“Similar, but a different ball,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of the play. “The ball was a little closer. It was a little flatter. There wasn’t as much air under it. It was more of a drive throw. It was a good retribution for him.”

Great route running got Taylor open for the score. His fourth and final catch of the afternoon showcased his exceptional hands. Despite having Oklahoma defender Eli Bowen hanging on as if he were riding a rickety subway, Taylor simply extended his left hand. The ball stuck to it, resulting in a 41-yard gain.

“Everybody knows he can do it, and it was nice to see him go out there and have fun and make it,” Stockton said.

Taylor was more or less the whole passing offense on Saturday for Georgia. He accounted for 110 of Stockton’s 171 passing yards. While he had four receptions, the rest of the Georgia wide receivers had just six.

The Bulldogs were without transfer Isiah Canion, as he missed the game with a leg injury. He was brought in during the offseason with the idea that he could be Georgia’s No. 1 wide receiver.

Through four games, Taylor has made a strong case to be that guy for the Georgia offense. He’s the only pass-catcher with multiple touchdowns to this point. Statistically, Taylor ranks second on the team in yards and catches.

“People have been hard on our receivers like we don’t have any, but we got some dudes in that room,” linebacker Raylen Wilson said.

But Saturday showed why Taylor is the biggest difference-maker in the Georgia passing offense.

“Yeah, Talyn Taylor’s got a lot of confidence,” Smart said. “He has confidence every day in practice, so it’s not one of those deals that I think all of a sudden he’s got confidence. He had confidence going into this season. He had confidence at the end of last season. He’s just gotten an opportunity to showcase it, and he’s taking advantage of it.”

Saturday represents a complete 180 from Taylor’s first SEC home game in 2025. The drop against Alabama was a low point for Taylor. Because of a collarbone injury he suffered the following week during practice, he never really got the chance to atone for it.

But Saturday clearly puts that play in the rearview mirror. The future looks incredibly bright for Taylor.

He arrived as the rare 5-star wide receiver signee in Georgia’s 2025 recruiting class. The last time Georgia landed someone of that caliber as a high school recruit was George Pickens in 2019.

Saturday’s game against Oklahoma, the best defense Georgia might face all season, validated the high expectations for Taylor.

He delivered in a big-time SEC game. And perhaps the most promising thing for Taylor and Georgia is that he may only just be getting started.