An elite Michigan commit is set to visit a chief rival during the 2016 season

This elite prospect is committed to Michigan but he is planning to visit a Big Ten rival in the near future.

Leonard Taylor rates as one of the top 25 players in the country when it comes to the Class of 2018 and he is committed to play for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines at the college level. Why, then, is Taylor scheduling visits to Columbus during the 2016 season?

Bill Kurelic of 247Sports spoke with Taylor about his plans to take a closer look at Ohio State in the near future:

"I'm going to go to Ohio State when they play Indiana," Taylor said. "I'm going to Penn State-Ohio State (at Penn State). I'm going to Notre Dame-Michigan State (at Notre Dame), and I'm going to Michigan-Ohio State (at Ohio State)."

Taylor, who stands at 6-foot-6 and 258 pounds, has been scouted as both a defensive end and a tight end at the college level. Because he is a 2018 prospect, the data on his profile is bit fuzzier than those players who are set to enroll in 2017, but Taylor ranks as the number 22 overall player according to 247Sports and as a consensus four-star prospect.

Harbaugh and company secured a commitment from Taylor at a very early stage (April 2016), leaving plenty of time for the youngster to wiggle away from Ann Arbor. However, it is safe to assume that Michigan will be proactive in trying to avoid this reality, and this is shaping up as yet another lengthy recruiting battle between the two biggest powers in the Big Ten.