“One of the best stars in the game is Brayden Williams, and he is there. Here comes Tate Taylor. They’re neck and neck. There goes Tate Taylor. I told you, Tate Taylor is the one who can win it!” Those were the electrifying words that echoed through the stadium at the 2025 Texas UIL 6A State Championships as a young Tate Taylor blazed toward the finish line. In that breathtaking moment, he clocked an astonishing 9.92 seconds, becoming the youngest man ever to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m. It was a roaring announcement to the world that Tate Taylor had arrived, and Coach Rob believes he’s only getting started on his path to greatness.

Recently, Coach Rob took to his YouTube channel to discuss the future of track and field’s rising stars, and when the topic of the next big thing came up, he didn’t hesitate to name Taylor Tate. “Simply put, Tate Taylor is the real deal. Who else are you looking for if you want a short sprinter out of America? Because when it comes to recruiting, the top programs are going to go overseas. If they can’t find what they need to win—like the type of kid who can beat Tate Taylor in the States—they’ll just go overseas. They’ll go to Nigeria or wherever else they have to, to try to get a legit competitor.” Coach Rob said.

Big words from the coach, but fully justified, Taylor is undeniably one of America’s brightest sprinting talents. At the 2025 Texas UIL 6A State Championships, he stole the spotlight with a scorching 20.14-second finish in the 200m, smashing the state record and solidifying his place among the fastest high school sprinters in history. That wasn’t all; he also matched one of the top U.S. prep marks in the 100m. At the Nike Outdoor Nationals, Taylor powered past the nation’s elite to claim the 100m crown in a blazing 10.10 seconds.

Riding his momentum, the athlete competed at the senior USA Track & Field Championships in Eugene, reaching the 100m semifinals against seasoned competitors, although he did not advance to the finals. This year, Nike also selected him for its 2025–26 Elite Program. Achieving all of this in just two years, with his career peak still ahead, has enticed top universities to court him as a preferred athlete, much like Quincy Wilson. “As far as where Tate Taylor might end up, I know Texas A&M, Baylor, and Tennessee are going after him,” said Coach Rob.

He further added, “There might be other schools on the list, but those are the ones that I know are on the list based on what social media gives us to go off of. When it comes to Texas A&M, they always take their shot at the number one sprint recruit in the nation—specifically, the Gatorade National Track Athlete of the Year. Because they did sign one just a year or two ago. That was Osama Sinka. But he never competed in their uniform for reasons that I’m not getting into right now.”

With each passing day, Taylor proves why he demands serious attention. Back-to-back wins have him embodying the American athletics dream, and even Justin Gatlin can’t hide his admiration for the young sprinter’s talent.

“I felt like I was literally watching an elite race,” said Justin Gatlin on Tate Taylor’s race

Tate Taylor has undoubtedly caught the attention of the sport’s biggest names this year, and Justin Gatlin is no exception. On his Ready Set Go channel, the former Olympian admitted that watching Taylor sprint felt like witnessing a top-tier, elite-level race: “I felt like I was literally watching an elite race—the way it was set up, the way they had the intros come in, they had the athletes stand behind their blocks… they did not disappoint.”

At Hayward Field, the Nike Outdoor Nationals brought pro-level theatrics and Diamond League energy, turning every introduction and gesture into a heart-pounding moment. Giving a play-by-play of the highlights, Gatlin said, “Braden’s got that rocket start… by the 50-meter mark, you see a surge from Maurice, and you see a surge from Tate… Tate stays strong, stays tall, and keeps pushing into the ground.”

The race lived up to its razor-thin margins, with all top three finishers surpassing Gleaton’s 10.29 qualifier. Gatlin noted that Taylor’s technique “gave him that edge over that 10.11,” perfectly highlighting the minuscule 0.01-second difference. He called it a “cool race.” Gatlin was clearly thrilled to see the young talent’s progress, confidently declaring that the future of the sport is in capable hands.