Prediction: Nebraska Cornhuskers set to land nation's No. 3 quarterback

Andrew Nemec | Apr 27, 2025

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule with Carmel Catholic (Illinois) four-star quarterback Trae Taylor / Courtesy of Trae Taylor

Class of 2027 Carmel Catholic (Illinois) bluechip quarterback Trae Taylor is ready to announce his college decision May 1.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound signal-caller is rated the nation's No. 40 overall prospect and No. 3 quarterback and is down to a final four of Illinois, LSU, Nebraska and Texas A&M.

But one program appears to have emerged as the clear-cut favorite.

Prediction: Trae Taylor to Nebraska Cornhuskers

Over the weekend, Taylor took one final visit to Lincoln for the "Husker Games."

But while that may feel like a crucial trip, the bluechip signal-caller said it was business as usual - in a good way.

"The recent trip to Nebraska has been the same as the ones before," he said. "The only difference is I know how to move around the building."

As for what he may have needed to see ahead of his upcoming decision, Taylor said he was already aware that Nebraska checks a lot of boxes.

"Trusting the staff and feel comfortable or safe is high on my priority," he said. "But most is, one, does the school have my degree? And two, can I develop and achieve my goal of getting to the NFL? And Nebraska checks both boxes. Well, all three, actually."

Given that Matt Rhule's program checks all the necessary boxes and got the final visit before Taylor's decision, it seems the Huskers have emerged as the favorite.

And the recruiting industry agrees, as On3 has projected Nebraska as an overwhelming favorite - with a 62.2 percent chance to land Taylor.

Of note, the teams in second and third, Michigan (13.0) and Michigan State (4.3), have been eliminated.

What would Nebraska be getting?

As a sophomore, Taylor threw for 3,061 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 69 percent of his passes, and also added 437 yards and five touchdowns rushing.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:

"Cerebral quarterback prospect that has a chance to be a trusted facilitator on Saturdays as he has displayed the ability to distribute at a high level when the pocket heats up. At his best when he’s playing from a structured environment as he uses clean footwork and a sturdy base to attack the intermediate and deeper parts of the field, but can also make some dynamic movements in the face of pressure to extend plays. Posted a losing record in his first year as a starter, but game tape paints a different picture as he hit his marks with authority and was able to layer the football through and around defenders while throwing for just over 3,000 yards. Grew an inch between freshman and sophomore seasons and looks to still be filling out a frame that’s pushing 6-foot-3. Must keep fine-tuning his craft, but should be viewed as a potential high-caliber distributor for a Power Four program that can recognize trouble and feed his playmakers."

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