Trae Taylor has attacked the recruiting process so seriously from the start that it can be easy to forget the Illinois quarterback is still just a 2027 prospect.
That being said, Taylor has been at the process long enough that he is nearing the end.
The sophomore has dozens of scholarship offers from colleges including Michigan, LSU, Illinois, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and Wisconsin among several more.
The Carmel Catholic High School prospect’s decision is set for June 6th.
“Sixth month of the year, sixth day of the month,” Taylor explains the significance of the date. “Six has kind of been a number that’s always been with me through my football journey and really has never left me, so that’s why.”
But before he makes that announcement, he plans to make another round of visits to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame.
“A lot of these trips are going to be probably my last trip to these schools,” according to him. “I just want to go to every single school and make sure I’m making the proper selection.
“Obviously every school’s in the mix and talking to me, but those are the ones I’m focused on as of now.”
He’ll be in South Bend on March 18th and hopes to build a closer relationship with the coaches.
“I also really just want to go see a practice and see once again, how they work with their quarterbacks,” according to him.
He concedes that communication with head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish has been lacking compared to some of the other colleges on his list, so he hopes to gain a better idea of where he stands.
Notre Dame has captured his attention for more than a year.
“It’s a very good educational school,” he tells me. “At the end of the day, they made a good run, so they clearly have the players, the offense, and the ability to win a national championship.
“I feel like those are a lot of the big reasons.”
