It is a unique time in Nebraska football. A week before the Red-White spring game and all is quiet. The focus of Husker fans is on other sports. Both men’s and women’s basketball are in the NCAA Tournament. The baseball and softball teams are off to a good start and have captured interest. The men’s wrestling team has ten participants on their way to the NCAA championships. Husker Nation is busy.
Meanwhile, with spring break the football team is off until Sunday. That means there aren’t any recruiting visits going on and Matt Rhule and staff have been given a reprieve. Unlike in the past, Rhule seems to be okay with not being in the limelight.
But with football not being a topic and everyone’s attention elsewhere, the news on 2027 quarterback recruit Trae Taylor has fallen through the cracks. All Taylor did this week is qualify for The Elite 11 in Los Angeles, a prestigious competition for high school quarterbacks. The event features advanced coaching, intense competition, and on field drills, with the result being part of the Elite 11 roster or the MVP.
Using a term from wide receiver transfer Kwazi Gilmer, like his new QB Anthony Colandrea, Trae Taylor is a ‘Dog’. After being named the ‘Alpha Dog’ at the Sevens, a 7-on-7 event in Atlanta earlier this month, Taylor has once again been named the ‘Alpha Dog’ after lighting things up at the Elite 11 Regional in Dallas this past weekend.
Taylor is someone who has been competing regularly at 7-on-7 competitions throughout his high school career, including the ‘Battle at the Boneyard’ in Lincoln last June. Taylor committed to Nebraska in May of last year. Since then, he has constantly been peer recruiting for the Huskers and has them on track to have one of their best classes in the school’s history.
Taylor announced at the end of January that he would be transferring from Carmel Catholic in Chicago to Millard South in Omaha for his senior season of high school. The move will allow him to spend more time in Lincoln with coaches and recruits on gameday and getting a jump on understanding the offense before ever dawning a Husker uniform. The move also allows him to take advantage of NIL opportunities that he would otherwise be unable to fulfill if in Chicago. He has locked in his official visit to Nebraska for June 19th.
With the move to Omaha Taylor becomes the highest ranked quarterback in the state. That’s saying a mouthful considering Omaha Westside quarterback Braylen Warren has also been invited to participate in the Elite 11. Nebraska took some grief for not pursuing Warren, who is a legacy. But with Taylor already on board, it didn’t make sense. Warren has since committed to Missouri. As of now Taylor is considered the 3rd best quarterback nationally in the 2027 class after accounting for 4,200 all-purpose yards and 50 touchdowns in his junior season.
The 6’3”, 190-pound Taylor’s performance in Dallas was impressive considering he was throwing the ball in 40mph winds. The velocity with which he throws stood out in the windy conditions. He moves with ease in the pocket and his mechanics along with his accuracy make him one of the top quarterbacks headed to compete in The Elite 11.
The 2026 season is a big one for Matt Rhule and the Huskers and it looks extremely challenging due to the schedule. Rhule must weather the storm with at the very least a 6-6 season. Now don’t get me wrong, even if he were to go 5-7, I don’t believe he will be going anywhere. Trae Taylor is his insurance policy, his get out of jail free card, his golden ticket, his ace in the hole, his lucky rabbit’s foot. He knows that and so does NU’s administration. Nothing rash is going to happen until the completion of the 2027 season, and even then, a move is doubtful.
Trae Taylor has made it abundantly clear he’s rock solid on Nebraska as long as Rhule, Holgorsen, and Glenn Thomas are around. If Nebraska decided to do something before Taylor is on campus, well, Taylor will never get on campus. I’ve never seen a recruit more committed to a school than Taylor has been. And Rhule and company have reciprocated the love, and why not. Taylor is a great kid and the real deal. If you have eyes at all you can see the potential, he holds.
It’ll be interesting to see what the quarterback plan will be going into 2027. It’s hard to believe they’ll bring in another transfer quarterback after Colandrea. You have to figure they will go with Lateef or Kaelin. But without doubt you’ll see Taylor on the field as well. He may not be the starter, but Rhule will give the fans a taste of what is to come, he’ll rub that lucky rabbit foot and smile while he’s doing it.
It only makes sense to sit Taylor in his first season. We saw with Raiola what happens when you throw a freshman into the fire too early. Why let history repeat itself. Let Taylor watch and learn from the sideline. Get him in the game and allow him to see the speed of the game and get a feel for things. If he can win the starting job, great, but don’t put him in a position where he’s forced out of character. Rhule has been given patience, he can’t get greedy and deny Trae that same leeway. After all, Trae Taylor is the future of Husker football.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
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