Carmel quarterback Trae Taylor of Lake in the Hills commits to Nebraska

Carmel sophomore quarterback Trae Taylor announced his commitment to Nebraska during an announcement on a 247Sports YouTube stream Thursday. Taylor chose the Cornhuskers over his other final three teams, Illinois, LSU and Texas A&M.

Taylor, a Lake in the Hills resident, was one of Illinois’ most recruited quarterbacks since J.J. McCarthy. Maryland offered Taylor his first scholarship in seventh grade, and nearly every major program followed suit over the years. Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, Auburn and Oklahoma all offered Taylor.

“I really believe that they can get me to the next level, which is the NFL, that I want to be at,” Taylor said during the stream. “So I feel like Nebraska will be the best place for me. We’ve got the best fans in the nation.”

Recruiting sites ranked Taylor as a consensus four-star quarterback. 247Sports listed him as the fourth-best prospect in Illinois’ Class of 2027 and the seventh-best quarterback, while Rivals ranked him Illinois’ top prospect and fourth-best quarterback.

Taylor impressed in his first season as the Corsairs’ starter last fall. He threw for 3,061 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions and added 437 more yards on the ground as well as five touchdowns. Taylor earned All-CCL/ESCC honors and led Carmel to a 3-6 record during the regular season.

Carmel opens the season against Grayslake Central on Aug. 29.