Ivan Taylor, son of Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, won’t be attending Notre Dame after all. According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Taylor is flipping his college commitment from the Fighting Irish to the Michigan Wolverines.
Taylor, part of the 2025 recruiting class, initially committed to Notre Dame in December of 2023. He was one of several Steelers sons expected to attend, joining Jerome Bettis and Plaxico Burress’ kids. Ryan Clark’s son also transferred to Notre Dame this year, though he’ll depart after the 2024 season. It led to a viral photo of the three dads with their three sons. Now, that’s changed.
A four-star recruit, he was ranked as the fifth-best cornerback of the 2025 class and 30th overall prospect. Attending West Orange High School in Florida, he initially chose Notre Dame over Wisconsin, Florida State, and Michigan. Many outlets, including the above announcement, refer to Taylor as a safety.
Now, he’s planning to play for the 2023 National Champs. While Sherrone Moore is replacing Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines are still viewed as one of the top teams in the nation. In 2023, they finished with college football’s top defense, allowing just 10.3 points per game. That included shutting out Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game and holding Washington to just 13 points in the National Title Game, a Huskies’ offense averaging over 30 points per contest.
At the time of committing to Notre Dame, Ivan Taylor referred to his father as a mentor during the recruiting process.
“I’m embracing [the Taylor name] very much,” Taylor said in July of 2023, via ESPN. “My dad has taught me what he was being taught in the NFL.”
Ike Taylor has served as an unofficial scout for the team, primarily scouting defensive backs. He attended several workouts of the top corners and safeties during the 2024 draft cycle. A fourth-round pick of the Steelers in 2003, he became one of GM Kevin Colbert’s best finds. Taylor would start 140 games and won two Super Bowls with the team.
Assuming Ivan Taylor sticks with Michigan, the odds are strong that he’ll see Mike Tomlin at plenty of Pro Days in the next few years. Michigan is one of the Steelers’ regular stops during the pre-draft process. One day, it’ll be Taylor on display for scouts. And assuming Tomlin is still the team’s head coach, he’ll be there to watch.
