CJ Taylor on move to safety: "Nothing I can't handle"

It's all about viewpoint for Vanderbilt playmaker CJ Taylor as he's taken on a position change.

The 6-foot-1 safety will take on a new look as he moves from linebacker to safety, but not a look that he doesn't believe he can handle.

"There will be bumps and bruises down the road but nothing I can't handle," Taylor said at SEC Media days of the move to safety. "Obviously the game changes whenever you're looking at it from a different viewpoint."

It was also a new viewpoint for Taylor as he stared out from the stage in the put together office room in Dallas.

The senior will see a different look as he steps on the field at renovated FirstBank Stadium this season, too. The constant; Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea.

Lea stepping into Taylor's development as defensive coordinator was a welcome change. Perhaps it was a change that kept Taylor from exploring his options beyond West End.

"I trust him with my football career," Taylor said of Lea. "Whenever he told the team that he was taking over as the DC, that was all I needed to hear. Obviously I'm changing to a traditional safety position. So when those two things checked off, I was all hands on deck."

The trust isn't one sided in Lea and Taylor's relationship.

Lea invited Taylor to join him in Dallas for a reason.

"CJ [Taylor] has been the most explosive player on our defense for the past two seasons," Lea said.

The senior safety has proven it before, he also feels as if there's more to do for he and the Vanderbilt defense in 2024.

In his mind, it's time for Taylor to be a piece of winning and an improved group.

"I say the mindset is go in there with a chip on your shoulder. Obviously I know that we've improved. That's for to us put on display when we play Virginia Tech."