Mike Young Lands His Lead Guard for Next Season: The Future of Hokies Hoops Gets Clearer
BLACKSBURG, Va. – In a move that could reshape Virginia Tech’s basketball identity, head coach Mike Young has landed his lead guard for the 2025-26 season: Marcus “MJ” Taylor, a 6-foot-4 playmaker out of DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, and one of the most electrifying point guards in the Eastern U.S.
Taylor, a top-50 national recruit and arguably the best two-way guard in the DMV, announced his commitment to the Hokies on Monday morning via a short video posted to Instagram—silhouetted in Cassell Coliseum, whispering, “It’s time.” The reaction was instant. Social media buzzed. ACC coaches raised eyebrows. And in Blacksburg, there was a quiet sense of arrival.
“I wanted to play somewhere where I could lead,” Taylor told reporters during a private Zoom call. “Coach Young runs a system that gives guards the keys. That’s all I needed to hear.”
This wasn’t a last-minute decision. Young had been recruiting Taylor since his sophomore year, often showing up to early morning shootarounds in D.C., sipping black coffee, scribbling notes, watching every subtle shift in Taylor’s game. When asked what sealed the deal, Taylor smiled: “He believed in me before I even believed in myself.”
For Young, this commitment marks a turning point—not just in roster building, but in vision. After back-to-back seasons of solid but unspectacular guard play, he now has a floor general who combines high-level athleticism with surgical precision. Taylor averaged 22.4 points, 6.8 assists, and 2.1 steals his senior year, often drawing comparisons to a young Jrue Holiday for his poise, defensive bite, and versatility.
“MJ is special,” Young said in a university statement. “He’s got the mind of a coach, the body of a pro, and the heart of a warrior. He’s the type of guard that makes everyone else better.”
What sets Taylor apart isn’t just his stats. It’s the rhythm he imposes on a game. In the championship of the Capital Classic, he controlled tempo like a veteran chess master—walking the ball up one possession, igniting a fast break the next, then switching to a tight two-man action to close the gap. By the end, he’d put up 31 points and nine assists, with scouts from the Celtics and Heat murmuring in the background.
Taylor joins a Hokies backcourt that’s expected to return sharpshooter Ben Blackwell and 6’6” Swiss-army wing Jalen Pope. Add in Taylor’s explosiveness, and Young may finally have the dynamic trio to compete at the top tier of the ACC.
It’s early, but the message is clear: Mike Young is not rebuilding—he’s reloading.
And with MJ Taylor now in maroon and orange, the future of Hokie basketball just got a lot faster, tougher, and a hell of a lot more fun to watch.
