Texas A&M football analyst accused of fatally poisoning girlfriend, unborn child

BRYAN, Texas — A college football analyst at Texas A&M is accused in the poisoning death of his girlfriend and their unborn child, authorities said.

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Blaise A. Taylor, 27, hired by the Aggies last month out of Utah State University, was arrested in Utah on Thursday by U.S. Marshals, KBTX-TV reported.

Taylor, a former defensive back at Arkansas State from 2014 to 2017, was indicted on Wednesday by a grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee, according to a news release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

He is accused of poisoning Jade Benning on Feb. 25, 2023, who was five months pregnant, WKRN-TV reported. Benning died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on March 6, 2023, her 25th birthday, according to the police news release.

Taylor, who was a scout for the Tennessee Titans at the time of Benning’s death, called 911 on the night of Feb. 25, 2023, and reported that she appeared to be having an allergic reaction, WKRN reported.

Her unborn fetus died on Feb. 27, police said. Authorities said they did not have a chance to interview Benning before she died.

Wednesday’s indictment came after months of investigation by Nashville police, according to the department’s news release. Authorities said Taylor allegedly poisoned Benning at her Nashville apartment without her knowledge.

Taylor will be extradited to Tennessee from Utah, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. According to jail records, he was being held without bail Friday night at the Cache County Jail in Logan, Utah, CNN reported.

After Benning’s death, Taylor was hired as a defensive analyst at Utah State on July 1, 2023, according to the Tribune. He was an analyst for Utes head coach Blake Anderson, assisting with defensive backs.

Taylor was hired by Texas A&M on March 6, 2024, The Tennessean reported. His father, Trooper Taylor, is the football team’s running backs coach.

As of Saturday morning, Blaise Taylor was still listed as a senior athletic assistant to the athletic director in the Texas A&M employee director.

A spokesperson for the athletics department told KBTX they were looking into his status as an employee and would follow up with additional information.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking situation, including the family and friends of the victim,” Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko said in a statement, according to KIII-TV. “It’s essential to allow the courts to handle this situation with the diligence and fairness it demands.

“We also would like to extend our prayers and support to Coach Trooper Taylor, Dr. Evelyn Taylor and their family as they navigate this extremely difficult time.”

Blaise Taylor was a four-year starter at Arkansas State, where he played defensive back and returned punts and kickoffs, according to Sports-Reference.com.

On special teams, Blaise Taylor returned four punts for touchdowns and had a kickoff return for a score. He intercepted six passes and recovered a fumble while playing defensive back for the Red Wolves.

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