Nebraska Now Holds Commitments from the Top 3 In-State Prospects for 2027

Unless you've been living under a rock this past week, you're likely well aware of the equally exciting and controversial news.

Jan. 21 saw four-star quarterback commit Trae Taylor announce plans to finish his high school career within the state of Nebraska. And one day later, fellow 2027 commit Antayvious Ellis announced he will be doing the same.

Fan of the news or not, it seems, the new reality for the duo is that they will be gearing up for the Millard South (NE) Patriots during the 2026 season, before ultimately joining Matt Rhule's roster as Huskers in 2027.

But that's not the most interesting news, at least on my end. Instead of rehashing what you've already gathered on your own, we'll be talking about the fact that Nebraska now (currently) holds verbal commitments from the top three in-state recruits in the 2027 class.

Headlined by Taylor, who will finish out his junior year at Carmel Catholic (IL) before moving to Lincoln, he prepares to lead Millard South to what would become their third consecutive Class A state title.

In 2025, the No. 55 overall player (247Sports Composite) in the 2027 class led his Illinois squad to the playoffs and finished the season combining for 50 total touchdowns. That was also on his way to gaining over 4,200 all-purpose yards as well. He instantly becomes the most high-profile player within the state and will succeed fellow four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla next year.

Next is Tory Pittman III, who, as a homegrown Nebraskan, was trending towards becoming the highest-ranked recruit in the state's history, site-dependent, of course. For convenience, we will continue to use 247SportsComposite as the Omaha Central safety is ranked the No. 30 overall recruit and second-best safety in the country. As a prep recruit, he's shown his athleticism on both sides of the ball; however, he looks to be joining new safeties coach Miles Taylor's room in 2027.

Either way you slice it, his commitment was a big win for Matt Rhule and the rest of his staff. And Pittman appears to be the latest in a growing group of blue-chip defensive backs to join the program in recent years.

Defensive backs coach Addison Williams deserves a lot of credit for his recruitment as well. Regardless, it does appear that the Huskers may be nearing adding two five-star caliber defensive backs in as many classes between Pittman III and Danny Odem (2026).

With the top two players in Nebraska already seemingly locked down, what's it to add the new third-ranked player in the state to the mix as well? Thursday morning, Ellis took to social media to announce his intentions to join Taylor at Millard South next fall, instantly giving the Patriots two of the three highest-ranked recruits in a matter of days.

Though the former Crowley (TX) native's profile isn't yet updated on 247Sports, his composite ranking of No. 409 is 19 spots higher than the former third-ranked player in Nebraska, suggesting the move will be made. Ellis, 6-foot, 175 pounds, becomes the most highly touted wide receiver within the Nebraska prep ranks and just so happens to be teaming up with his quarterback counterpart on the field next fall.

The pairing of "Tay and Trae" will likely be the talk of NSAA Class A football for months to come, and whether this is the first of many, the duo's like-minded decision may very well create changes in the rulebooks of Nebraska high school sports in the very near future.

The fourth and final in-state Nebraska commit is Matt Erickson of Millard North. Previously ranked as the No. 4 player in the state, with his future teammates' decisions to transfer, he moved back to sixth. For now, it appears he will stay the course with the Mustangs next fall; however, decisions only need to be made before May 1, allowing him ample time to potentially join his eventual collegiate teammates a year earlier than initially expected.

Listed at 6-foot-8, 280 pounds, Erickson possesses the type of frame that has the NFL written all over it. Though he'll likely take a redshirt year in 2027, as most offensive linemen do, don't let that distract you from the fact that the Millard North standout can move the line of scrimmage at a high-level already.

While it's only been since the 2025 class that Nebraska was able to secure four of the top six in-state recruits, this discussion is interesting in its own way. None of those players, including Christian Jones, ranked No. 1 for his cycle, received a national ranking. Whereas in 2027, the top three players within the state's composite rankings are all within the top 450 nationally.

This is the first time in a long time that Nebraska has had this much in-state talent infused amongst its ranks, and it may be a long time again before they see (potentially) two five-star talents in the same decade, let alone the same class.

Regardless of how they got to this point, Power Four talent has invaded the Nebraska borders in recent years, making the product on the field not only more enjoyable as a fan but also to coaches across the country as well. However one feels about the cross-state transfers, they've said they're doing it for reasons more closely tied to their futures in Lincoln, suggesting the young pair is focused on making as big an impact as possible on Nebraska's quest to return to the top of college football.

That alone is valiant in itself. And a story worth remembering years from now. At this time, they've yet to officially be cleared; however, don't be surprised if the electric duo of Taylor and Ellis is playing on a field near you next fall. For the remaining pair of Pittman and Erickson, they could also look to team up or take on their fellow 2027 commits over the coming months as well.

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