Tate Taylor is already running ahead of his age. But when it comes to his career, the 18-year-old isn’t ready to fast-track the future. After three World U20 golds, college remains firmly on his radar.

Taylor wrapped up his extraordinary week on Sunday by anchoring the United States to victory in the men’s 4x100m relay. The Americans clocked a stunning 38.16 seconds, setting a new world U20 record and giving the teenager his third gold medal of the championships.

But the biggest question surrounding Taylor wasn’t about another record. It was what comes next. After becoming the first U.S. man to sweep the 100m and 200m at a World U20 Championships, Taylor revealed that he has no immediate plans to chase the professional circuit. “I am not planning on running at the Ultimate Championships. I am going to concentrate on college.”

That decision carries plenty of weight considering what Taylor has accomplished over the past few months. The San Antonio native arrived in Eugene already carrying enormous expectations. He left with a place in the history books.

The performance made Taylor just the fifth man in World U20 Championships history to complete the 100m-200m double.

He is the first athlete in World U20 Championships history to win the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the same edition. Names such as Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles have never achieved what this teenager did in Eugene.

Looking at his record-breaking performances and his rapid rise, naturally, the question of whether Taylor should simply skip college and turn professional has followed him. And this isn’t the first time we’ve seen him addressing this.

During an interview with Sports Illustrated in June 2025, Taylor admitted that turning professional had been considered. College, however, remained an option he valued. “Going to college would be a great experience,” he said at the time, explaining that he and his coach were weighing both paths.

Now, after a summer that has dramatically raised his profile, Taylor appears to have made his choice… at least for the moment.

Texas Tech’s track and field coach is a big fan of Tate Taylor

Texas Tech coach Wes Kittley certainly won’t complain. He has watched Taylor’s rapid rise with excitement, even while joking that he wouldn’t mind if his future star saved a few more records for his collegiate days.

“I’m shocked he’s not going to turn pro… but he wants to go to college, he’s saying, and he’s determined. He came (to Tech in mid-July), did his registration and got his classes, but if he runs something crazy … I don’t know. He already has – 19.75, my goodness,” Kittley said in an interview a few days ago.

Kittley isn’t his only big fan. Taylor’s rise has already caught the attention of the sport’s biggest stars. After watching the teenager deliver a personal-best 9.94 seconds to win the 100m title in front of his home crowd at the World U20 Championships, Noah Lyles summed up the moment with a simple prediction: “A champion is born.”

Coming to his records, Taylor owns national high school records in both the 100m and 200m, already has a 19.75 to his name and now owns three World U20 gold medals. According to Kittley, Taylor’s family want the teenager to experience college and “be a kid a little bit longer,” with an NIL deal with Nike providing another reason not to rush into the professional ranks.

Kittley isn’t expecting that window to last forever. If Taylor produces another spectacular season, the temptation to turn professional could become impossible to ignore.

For now, though, Taylor isn’t chasing the next contract or the next professional race. He’s choosing the college experience. And after a summer in which he has already run faster, won bigger and rewritten history, the next chapter of Tate Taylor’s story will begin in Lubbock.