Taylor promised the Wadley native a clean slate, but asked for something in return — lose weight. Quickly.
So Zachery recommitted himself to his body and his training. He worked harder with strength and conditioning coach Kevin Yoxall and adhered to nutritionist Joe Walker's plan.
By the end of spring, Zachery lost 10 pounds.
Not coincidentally, he also climbed to the top of Taylor's depth chart despite having been buried on the two-deep under the former coaching regime. Zachery credited his newfound conditioning.
"I feel a lot better, running my routes" Zachery said. "I'm not as tired as quick."
That's a contrast to last season. A strong spring left Zachery with expectations of a breakout year in Tony Franklin's spread offense.
Instead, Auburn's passing game never found its rhythm. When Tommy Tuberville fired Franklin six games into the season, the Tigers returned to a more traditional brand of football with fewer receivers and, thus, fewer opportunities.
Zachery fell behind. By the end of the season, the situation had unraveled so badly that he considered transferring.
When Tuberville left, though, Zachery saw opportunity to impress a new staff. When he met Taylor, the junior knew he had gained detrimental weight since coming to Auburn. His new position coach's assessment helped him realize that if he wanted to play, he needed to make a change.
"I kind of felt it a little bit last year during the season," Zachery said. "I kind of thought I was a lot heavier than I should have been. So, I just made it a goal after this season to try to lose some weight."
Once Zachery started shedding the pounds, Taylor noticed the change.
That, the receivers coach said, showed Zachery's level of commitment.
"He's changed his body. In my opinion, he weighed too much," Taylor said. "He's lost some weight and really looks good and can run. He's really back to the speed and quickness that you need to have to play the position that we're asking him to play. I tell him, you have to run until your food dies. That's the kind of shape we're looking for him to be in. He wasn't used to that."
Now Zachery is in a position to make the most of his versatility. His position, the "2" in Gus Malzahn's offense, gives Zachery the opportunity to make plays on a variety of passing routes and also gives him occasional reverse opportunities.
He's also in the mix as a return specialist.
Through spring and fall, Zachery is one of two receivers — Darvin Adams being the other — who has continually impressed Taylor.
That Zachery and his two career catches are heralded as Auburn's top receiver serves as a grave concern for some Tigers fans.
Conversely, Zachery thinks his ascent to the top of the depth chart is little more than the realization of talent that made him a four-star prospect coming out of Wadley High School.
There, Zachery set an Alabama high school record in receiving yards, finishing with 4,672 on 190 catches. He also ended his career with 53 touchdowns.
It didn't take long for Taylor to find that potential in Zachery.
"Terrell Zachery has really, really stepped up and done well," Taylor sad. "We need him to continue to play the way he was playing."
