They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and that certainly holds true in football when it comes to the legacies of a handful of famous families.
Most well known is the Manning family, which has churned out three generations of star quarterbacks in dad Archie, Super Bowl champion sons Peyton and Eli and their nephew Arch, who is expected to be a top signal-caller in college football this fall.
Down the road in Boulder, NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ family revived the University of Colorado’s practically dead football program with Shedeur and Shilo Sanders quarterbacking the offense and defense, respectively.
Now University of Wyoming Cowboys fans will have their own familiar and famous name to cheer for — though not quite as widely known as the Mannings or Sanders but with an extensive pro-football family tree.
Taylor Hasselbeck, the son of former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, committed to the Cowboys late last week as a member of the 2026 recruiting class.
Taylor is also the nephew of retired 18-year NFL veteran Matt Hasselbeck, who led the Seattle Seahawks to the 2006 Super Bowl. Tim and Matt’s father, Don, also played in the NFL as a tight end, winning a Super Bowl in 1984 with the Los Angeles Raiders.
“COMMITTED!!!!” Taylor Hasselbeck tweeted late last week on X.
Who’s Taylor?
Taylor, ranked widely as a three-star prospect, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds.
He hails from the Ensworth School in Nashville, where he led his team to an 11-1 record last season before losing in Tennessee’s Division II Class AAA playoff semifinals.
He threw 18 touchdown passes and completed 70% of his throws last season as a junior, according to news reports. The team is coached by his father, Tim, who played seven years in the NFL before becoming a football analyst on networks like Fox and ESPN, where he still works.
Taylor was given a scholarship offer from the Cowboys in March. He said on Twitter at the time that he was “blessed” to receive the offer after speaking with UW Head Coach Jay Sawvel.
Sports Illustrated reported that Taylor had offers from Eastern Michigan, Tulsa and Murray State but chose Wyoming after visiting the Laramie campus in April.
Taylor, who also plays baseball, was a High School Football America Academic All-American last year.
A number of sons of NFL quarterbacks are on college recruiting tours, considering football programs where they can hone their skills and continue their family’s legacies.
Four-star quarterback prospect Gunner Rivers is considering the University of Texas and several other schools for when he enters college in 2027. He is the son of former NFL star quarterback Phillip Rivers, who like Tim Hasselbeck, is his son’s high school coach.
Wide receiver prospect Donovan McNabb Jr., son of the former Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl quarterback with the same name, is also considering several schools.
Justin George can be reached at justin@cowboystatedaily.com.
