Top 2027 quarterback prospect Trae Taylor’s commitment to Nebraska on Thursday ruffled some feathers. In a ceremony held at Mundelein, Illinois’ Carmel Catholic High School, Taylor, the No. 66 prospect nationally and No. 7 quarterback, initially placed an Illinois hat atop his head before casting it aside and replacing it with a Nebraska cap, affirming his pledge to the Huskers in the process.
Taylor even said he was going to “stay home and go to Illinois” before pulling the switcheroo. The whole sage drew plenty of criticism on social media, with even current Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer chiming in.
“(Corn) ball, no pun intended.” Altmyer wrote in a now-deleted post.
In response, Taylor posted an apology video on Thursday.
“I did want to film this video to apologize to Illini nation,” Taylor said. “Throwing the hat the way I did during my commitment is not the way I want to be perceived and I know that was very disrespectful. I really just want to get on here and say that that’s not who I am. That’s not the way I want to be known as. The moment got to me a little bit and I just want to say sorry.
“I’m very grateful for all the support that Illini nation has brought to me and the coaching staff.”
Regardless of how it went down, Taylor’s commitment is another significant recruiting win for Nebraska coach Matt Rhule and his staff. The Huskers signed five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola in 2024, TJ Lateef — the No. 27 quarterback in his class — in 2025 and currently hold a commitment from Dayton Raiola, Dylan’s younger brother, for 2026.
Taylor is the first prospect to commit to Nebraska during the 2027 cycle.
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