Taylor was a three-time all-state player at Denison High School.

On December 15, 2010, Oklahoma announced Taylor would be leaving the program due to personal reasons. “T.J. is dealing with some things personal in nature and he informed me today that he is leaving our program,” said head coach Jeff Capel. “We wish circumstances were such that T.J. could remain with us, but we are certainly sensitive to his situation. We wish him the best.”

Said Taylor, “This is something I felt I needed to do at this time of my life. I love Coach Capel and the staff at OU, and I wish everyone on the team the best of luck.”