Nebraska fans got some good news to start their week: the news they had been anticipating, quarterback commitment Trae Taylor is now a five-star in the Rivals rankings. His national rating also rose from No. 38 to No. 17 overall. Taylor, who has been committed to Matt Rhule and Nebraska since May 1, 2025, chose the Huskers over Illinois, Texas A&M, and LSU.
Since his commitment date, Taylor has been an elite recruiter for Nebraska. He has been part of the process that helped the Huskers land commitments from four-star safety Tory Pittman, wide receiver Tay Ellis, and, most recently, four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor.
Taylor put together a strong junior campaign last year at Mount Carmel (Illinois) before transferring to Omaha (Neb.) Millard South this spring. He finished the season with 3,571 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He also had 633 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
More recently though, what directly contributed to his new five-star ranking, Taylor was named the Elite 11 Finals MVP which is one of the most prestigious honors a high school quarterback can win. Taylor became the first Nebraska commitment to win the Elite 11 MVP, beating out 20 of the nation’s best quarterbacks.
Past winners of the Elite 11 MVP include quarterbacks such as C.J. Stroud, Caleb Williams, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, and also Matthew Stafford. Taylor was recognized throughout the event for having incredible accuracy, great decision making, and also played with a great consistency from the Elite 11 competition through the Nike “The Opening” when he was recognized as the nation’s best.
Taylor has remained steadfast in his commitment to Nebraska despite advances from other schools. Schools such as Ohio State, Michigan, and South Carolina have tried to get Taylor to reconsider his 14-month commitment to the Huskers.