A Texas Standout Is Headed to Millard South—and Nebraska Fans Will Notice Fast

The Patriots just added another future Cornhusker, and the move instantly makes an already loaded offense even more dangerous.

Crowley (Texas) star receiver Antayvious "Tay" Ellis, a 2027 Nebraska Cornhuskers commit, announced he is transferring schools for his senior season. / Tay Ellis/X

Millard South High School just added another future Nebraska Cornhusker to an already loaded roster, and this time the Patriots’ latest boost came at wide receiver.

Three-star wideout Antayvious “Tay” Ellis, a member of the Class of 2027 and a Nebraska commit, announced Thursday that he is transferring from Crowley (Texas) High School to Millard South in Omaha.

Ellis revealed the surprise move during an appearance on Hurrdat Sports Live.

“I’m going to be taking my talents to Millard South,” Ellis said on the show.

Ellis is the second Nebraska commit this week to announce a transfer to Millard South, joining four-star quarterback Trae Taylor—giving the Patriots not just two high-profile additions, but a ready-made quarterback-receiver pairing that could make one of the state’s best programs even tougher to slow down.

Another Nebraska commit headed to Omaha

Ellis committed to Nebraska in November, and he arrives at Millard South with a steady track record of production.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Ellis is rated as the No. 409 prospect nationally in the Class of 2027 and the No. 54 wide receiver in the class.

Over the past three seasons at Crowley, Ellis posted at least 700 receiving yards each year, and he capped his most recent season with career-best numbers. This past fall, Ellis totaled 65 receptions for 808 yards and nine touchdowns.

❤️💯 #gbr https://t.co/NACXO7spKS

— Antayvious “Tay” Ellis✝️ (@AntayviousEllis) January 23, 2026

Now, he’ll bring that résumé north—and into a program that has become one of the most prominent football destinations in the Midwest.

A proven playmaker from a Texas program

Crowley struggled to a 3-8 record this season, but Ellis continued to show development, and his consistent production across three seasons suggests he’s in for a big senior sendoff.

Even in a state known for deep rosters and weekly grind-it-out schedules, Ellis carved out a role and produced year after year—something that typically translates well.

And at Millard South, the opportunity is clear: an early start near his future home while joining a championship program with major talent around him and a pile of expected wins ahead.

Millard South’s offense got a whole lot scarier this week

Ellis isn’t arriving alone.

On Wednesday, quarterback Trae Taylor—a four-star prospect in the Class of 2027—announced he is transferring from Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois, to Millard South.

"I wanted to do something uncomfortable and go play with my boy [Trae]," Ellis told Hurrdat Sports Live. "The main thing is recruiting. Recruit the best of the best. We want the best class in 2027."

Taylor is currently committed to Nebraska, and Rivals ranks him as the No. 4 quarterback in the Class of 2027 and the No. 71 player overall.

The signal caller put up monster numbers during the 2025 season, throwing for 3,571 yards with 38 touchdowns and three interceptions, while helping Carmel Catholic to an 8-3 record. The Corsairs’ season ended with a 26-23 loss to St. Charles North in the second round of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule with four-star quarterback Trae Taylor, then at Carmel Catholic (Illinois) High. Taylor announced this week that he is transferring to Millard South in Omaha, Nebraska. / Courtesy of Trae Taylor

Taylor said his decision came down to the reality of being closer to Nebraska—and the advantages that come with it.

“Next with me being an early enrollee I figured why wait when I’d be in Lincoln most of the weekends anyways and multiple NIL things have been brought to me,” Taylor told Greg Smith in an interview. “But I couldn’t because of the schedule to get back to Lincoln. Lastly, on game days I can get way more time with coaches. I can dig into the playbook to have a better understanding before I even enroll.”

Taylor also addressed the move publicly on X, formerly Twitter, calling it a major decision and thanking those who helped him along the way.

“This decision was not taken lightly,” Taylor wrote in part. “None of this is possible without my coach, Jason McKie, and his support, and his giving me the green light to go be great, nothing but love. And of course, my Carmel teammates, my progress was faster because of you. Thank you, Corsairs community.”

And while Ellis is heading to Omaha, Taylor’s plan involves living in Lincoln and making the commute—something he doesn’t see as a major obstacle.

“The drive from Lincoln to Omaha is less of a drive than I make now from Crystal lake to Mundelein that I have done the last 3 years,” Taylor said on X.

A powerhouse program that keeps collecting trophies

Millard South has already been operating at championship level, and the numbers behind the Patriots’ recent run are hard to ignore.

In 2025, Millard South finished 12-1 and capped its season with a 49-0 win over Papillion-LaVista South to win the NSAA Class A state championship.

That title followed another championship season in 2024, when Millard South beat Omaha Westside 27-10 in the state final.

The drive from Lincoln to Omaha is less of a drive than I make now from Crystal lake to mundelein that I have done the last 3 years. And not driving it in the winter

— Trae Taylor (@Qb6Trae) January 22, 2026

The Patriots didn’t just win in 2025—they overwhelmed opponents.

Millard South outscored its in-state opponents 489-10 last season, and it closed the year with playoff wins of 45-3, 48-3, and 62-21, before the 49-0 title game.

In 2024, Millard South rolled through the playoffs with wins of 56-19, 49-10, and 49-14, before beating Omaha Westside.

The roster was loaded, too, led by Alabama signee Jett Thomalla at quarterback. Millard South also had 10 players sign with Division I programs in December, highlighting just how much talent has been flowing through the program.

Now, Ellis and Taylor are stepping into that environment—and bringing even more attention with them.

The “Husker Bubble”—and the spotlight that comes with it

With two Nebraska commits arriving in the same week, Ellis and Taylor are instantly becoming part of what has been described as the “Husker Bubble,” where every move is watched closely.

That includes the ongoing debate around transfers and competitive balance in Nebraska high school sports, particularly within the NSAA.

Nebraska allows students to option-enroll in schools outside their district, and that system has played a role in the growth of powerhouse programs across multiple sports.

Millard South has already been under scrutiny in those discussions, and the addition of Ellis and Taylor only adds more fuel to a topic that continues to be debated statewide.

As Nebraska high school programs consider proposals that could further limit movement between schools—especially when it comes to immediate eligibility—the offseason transfers are likely to keep Millard South at the center of the conversation.

“[Trae Taylor and I] been havin it our heads for a little minute, going into this year me and Trae just building a foundation and building our chemistry.”

“My mom always tells me that God is in the uncomfortable so I wanted to do something that’s uncomfortable.” -… pic.twitter.com/jbvYzxznpc

— Hurrdat Sports (@HurrdatSports) January 22, 2026

A bigger recruiting role—and a head start toward Lincoln

Beyond the Friday-night impact in Omaha, Ellis and Taylor have both pointed to another, somewhat clear, motivation: being closer to the Nebraska program.

Ellis said that proximity matters.

“We get to finally be Lincoln and be there a whole year early,” Ellis said. “We get to recruit the best of the best while we’re sitting by Coach Rhule.”

Taylor echoed a similar mindset in explaining how being closer can help him learn the system and spend more time around the program before officially enrolling.

And with Nebraska’s quarterback room in flux, including Dylan Raiola transferring to Oregon and the program adding veteran Anthony Colandrea from UNLV, there’s a clear opportunity for the future.

Colandrea is expected to be a senior in 2026, and Nebraska could have an open competition by the time Taylor arrives in 2027.

For now, though, the biggest immediate winner might be Millard South.

The Patriots were already a state title favorite.

Now, they’ve added a proven Texas receiver, a four-star quarterback, and two of Nebraska’s future building blocks—all in the same week.

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