After his third first-half trip to the end zone, Julian Taylor reminded everyone within earshot of his capabilities. His words still didn't speak as loud as his plays.
The dynamic junior Detroit Cass Tech running back/linebacker had one message from the sidelines of Tom Adams Field at Wayne State during the Prep Kickoff Classic on Friday, Aug. 28: He is not a one-trick pony.
"I can do it all," Taylor yelled after he ripped the ball out of the hands of a Michigan City (Indiana) running back – after sophomore defensive end Jaimerre Johnson stood him up – for the cleanest strip and score imaginable.
Julian Taylor dominates for Cass Tech
Taylor, who started on both sides of the
ball, did, indeed, do a little bit of everything during his few plays in No. 1 Cass Tech's dominant 62-0 win over Michigan City in Week 1 of the Michigan high school football season.
On Cass Tech's first snap on offense, Taylor took the ball behind the right side of the offensive line, made a couple defenders miss, stiff-armed another while tightroping the sidelines, and then turned on the jets for a 51-yard touchdown. On the Technicians' fourth drive, Taylor ran up the middle 33 yards for his second TD on offense.
In addition to the three total TDs, Taylor finished with 118 yards on a preposterous four carries. And that didn't include another 46-yard touchdown run negated by a block in the back.
"Ju, he knows how to make plays out of nothing," said sophomore tight end/defensive end Tailor Thomas. "If I'm putting someone on their back, he will find a way to come to my side and we'll score."
Taylor – a three-star recruit who already has six FBS-level scholarship offers, including four from Power Four schools – was far from the only star in an all-around dominant night for Michigan's top-ranked high school football team.
Star turns abound for Technicians
Receiver Mylan Griggs (a four-star recruit, per 247 Sports' composite rankings, who has 33 FBS scholarship offers) head-tapped a defensive back for a contested touchdown catch. Running back De'Mari Hendrix (who has an offer from Kent State) showed his elusiveness on a pair of touchdown runs. Johnson, Thomas, senior defensive tackle Martez Livingston and junior defensive tackle Antoine Hall took turns blowing up Michigan City plays with disruptive pressure up front.
Freshman Christopher Harris pulled down an interception in the second half and receiver John Overall added the finishing touches with a 41-yard touchdown run.
Sophomore Peyton Robinson hauled in a 48-yard touchdown from junior quarterback Donald Tabron II (a Texas A&M commit), returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown after a nice cut in the middle of the field and had a 25-yard gain on a hitch that he caught on the right side of the field and weaved back to the left with a series of jukes and sharp cuts that left defenders on the turf.
PEYTON ROBINSON PUTTING ON A SHOW 🤩
— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) August 29, 2026
Catch the game LIVE now ➡️ https://t.co/yqc4YfbMEl
Powered by @MIArmyGuard pic.twitter.com/poQQ0g7G7W
Robinson, who got plenty of experience on the 2025 state runner-up team as a freshman starter and already has six FBS-level offers, looks like another game-changing athlete in all three phases for the Technicians.
"Fortunately, I got to play behind guys like C.J. Sadler and Will Sykes," Robinson said. "I started as a freshman, but those guys really paved the way for me and showed me what it is like to be one of the top guys. They always told me when you get the ball, make the most of that opportunity."
Cass Tech only needed 18 plays on offense to put up 49 points in the first half. All five TDs on offense were at least 11 yards, showcasing the always-explosive nature of the Technicians' offense. The defense swarmed any Michigan City attempt at moving forward and created big plays itself.
Next up: A rematch with Grandville
A big test now awaits as Cass heads to the west side of the state in Week 2 to play Grandville, which knocked off Muskegon by one point in overtime on Friday. Last season, Grandville nearly beat Cass in overtime in Detroit. This year's matchup should be similarly tough.
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for theDetroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Julian Taylor, Detroit Cass Tech star, lights it up on offense and defense
