Few prep athletes have had a longer recruitment than Carmel’s Trae Taylor, who picked up his first Division I offer from Maryland as a seventh-grader.
On Thursday, the sophomore quarterback ended the speculation by committing to Nebraska in a live announcement on YouTube.
He’s the Cornhuskers’ first recruit in the 2027 recruiting cycle, picking them from among 30-plus Power Four offers. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, he’s the No. 2 player in his class in Illinois and the No. 3 quarterback and No. 35 prospect nationally.
His other finalists were Illinois, LSU and Texas A&M.
Taylor, a 6-3, 186-pounder, used a bit of misdirection, initially saying, “I’m going to stay home and go to Illinois,” before tossing aside an Illini baseball cap in favor of a Nebraska one.
Later Thursday, Taylor posted a video on X apologizing to Illinois for throwing the hat, saying, “I know that was very disrespectful” and “is not the way I want to be perceived.”
Why the Cornhuskers?
Coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas made a good impression on Taylor.
“They’ve all been very genuine,” Taylor said on the YouTube video. “I feel they can get me better on and off the field. . . . [And] they have the best fans in the nation.”
“I think it’s a great fit,” national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove said. “By the time he gets there, [quarterback Dylan] Raiola will be in his last year or already out. . . . For what they’re doing at Nebraska and trying to build, it’s perfect.”
Taylor is coming off his first season as a starter for the Corsairs, who finished 4-7 against a tough schedule. Three of their losses were to state champions: 8A Loyola, 4A DePaul Prep and 3A Montini.
He completed 68% of his passes for 3,061 yards and 20 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Taylor also averaged more than eight yards per carry, finishing with 342 rushing yards and four TDs.
Taylor said on the YouTube video that he has been playing football since he was 3.
“I didn’t have any clue what football would do for me,” Taylor said. “Playing football was the best decision I made. I learned how to become coachable, how to take criticism, how to win, how to lose.”
He comes from a football family. His dad, J.R., scored a program-record 51 touchdowns as a running back at Eastern Illinois while playing with future NFL star Tony Romo.
Taylor’s instincts get high marks from Cosgrove.
“When you watch the film, you watch how he conducts the offense,” Cosgrove said.
“He sees the field; he sees the audibles. I see a little [Michigan recruit and No. 1 2025 prospect] Bryce Underwood in him: overall raw talent but refined in the knowledge of the game.”