Level with me Carm, how much fear is there inside the program of Trae shifting towards OSU and is there a contingency plan?
-
Welcome to The Platinum Board! We are a Nebraska Cornhuskers news source and community. Please click "Log In" or "Register" above to gain access to the forums.
May 2026 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter Dell Husker
- Start date
Time for a June thread!
Very little to no fear. The contingency plan would be to take a 2028, I would think. A 2027 would be nearly impossible at this point. Colandrea is here for two seasons (assuming 5 for 5) then there is Kaelin and Lateef.
There is no such thing as a contingency plan for a guy like Taylor. Anyone else would be a step down.
To add, the family moved to Lincoln, has never slowed down their cheerleading of the program, they particularly believe in this program under the direction of Matt Rhule, and want to be a part of building it back up.
They’ve also been consistent in that the only thing that will get them to reconsider is if Rhule isn’t our coach. At some point we should believe the family and just get behind Trae as a future Husker instead of worrying about him playing for someone else. A lot of actions beyond just a NIL agreement would have to be unwound for him to end up elsewhere.
Elite 11 takeaways: Bruce Feldman on Nebraska commit Trae Taylor, Bama-bound Elijah Haven and more
Ryan Rakowski, a three-star QB from Southern California, helped himself more than any prospect at the three-day event.
www.nytimes.com
Elite 11 takeaways: Bruce Feldman on Nebraska commit Trae Taylor, Bama-bound Elijah Haven and more
By Bruce Feldman
June 1, 2026 8:35 am CDT
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — The Elite 11 Finals took place over the last three days of May, with 20 of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks competing in a variety of drills and competitions. It was an impressive group — a little better than I heard heading into the event.
Here are six takeaways.
Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite.
1. Nebraska commit Trae Taylor, ranked No. 60 overall and the No 4 QB, stood out. I spoke to five of the Elite 11 coaches toward the end of the event, and almost all of them said Taylor was the most impressive quarterback.
Taylor has a ton of juice in his arm, and the 11 staff raved to me about his fastball. He shined in Saturday night’s Pro Day competition and again Sunday morning in the 7-on-7, which also showed how well he sees the field. Still, the young quarterback needs to develop learning how and when to layer the ball. “He throws everything hard,” one of the coaches told me Sunday.
This is the second time in four years I’ve come away from the Elite 11 thinking that Nebraska landed the best QB in the country (remember Dylan Raiola?). Hopefully for Matt Rhule’s sake, this time it works out better for the Cornhuskers.
2. Peyton Houston, ranked No. 8 among QBs and No. 94 overall, also impressed. The LSU commit is on the shorter side at about 5-f00t-11 and 205 pounds, but he’s polished and super smooth. It’s not hard to see him throwing for a ton of yards in the Lane Kiffin/Charlie Weis Jr. system in Baton Rouge. One of the Elite 11 coaches raved about Houston, who plays at longtime Shreveport, La., powerhouse Evangel Christian Academy and its deep shotgun system dating back to the Josh Booty days of the early 1990s. Houston is also adept operating under center, executing the play-action game.
3. James Franklin landed a big-time prospect in Peter Bourque, a 6-4, 220-pounder from Massachusetts who ranks No. 7 among QBs and No. 82 overall. He lit it up in Sunday’s 7-on-7 competition, looking aggressive and confident but not reckless, and that came after he won the Accuracy Challenge and the Pro Day competitions on Saturday night. One of the longtime Elite 11 coaches told me he sees some Josh Allen in Bourque’s game: “He’s a big kid, but he moves well, is athletic and throws very well off-platform.”
4. Israel Abrams seemed to have the biggest personality of any of the QBs. He’s gregarious and engaging. At 6-4, 185 pounds, the Miami commit from Illinois is ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the country and plays with a bunch of confidence, too. In his 7-on-7 session Sunday, he had the best throw I saw over the weekend. It was a legit “wow” deep throw in the front corner of the end zone to a short receiver who wasn’t open. Abrams dropped it on the kid who was covered by a taller defensive back and practically caught it for him.
“He has a real high ceiling,” said one of the Elite 11 coaches. “When he’s locked in, he can be really impressive, and we saw that whenever we added some game element and game atmosphere, he was letting it rip.”
5. Elijah Haven, the nation’s top-ranked QB and a Baton Rouge, La., native, committed to Alabama and already has an NFL body — like he’s been lifting with Jalen Hurts for years. At 6-4-plus and 230 pounds, Haven is a big dude who looks effortless moving around before unleashing balls downfield.
6. The QB who probably helped himself the most was Ryan Rakowski, a local kid from nearby Palos Verdes. He entered the event ranked No. 61 among QBs in the class and was the smallest in the competition at 5-10 1/2, 180 pounds. Rakowski’s uncommitted, but he generated plenty of buzz after his opening night showing in the Rail Shot Challenge, matching Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele throw for throw. The Cal standout was at the event as a counselor, along with Auburn’s Byrum Brown and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr.
Rakowski stood out every day of the event, and he reminded me a little bit of former Fresno State star Jake Haener. The coaches I talked to were not surprised he thrived and said that when you watch his film, his toughness and savvy jump off the tape. He’s aware of what he can and can’t do. Rakowski got to a slow start Saturday night in the Pro Day competition, missing a slant and then babying his next throw, but then it seemed as though he quickly went through a mental reset. He self-corrected and was awesome the rest of the night. Rakowski was even more impressive in the 7-on-7 competition, torching the defense, drive after drive after drive.
It’ll be fascinating to see where he ends up in college. I wouldn’t bet against this kid throwing for a lot of yards and TDs.
This also is not the case of us stumbling onto a really good guy earlier than others and getting him to commit and now the world has awakened to how good he is. He was hotly pursued before he committed to us and did a lot of due diligence before he committed.
E.g., 29 schools offered Trae before we did. His first B1G offer was in December of 2022, when he was in 8th grade.
Before he committed, he visited home state Illinois twice, Georgia twice, Oregon, A&M, LSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Auburn and possibly a couple more. He went through a very deliberate process and made a deliberate choice.
E.g., 29 schools offered Trae before we did. His first B1G offer was in December of 2022, when he was in 8th grade.
Before he committed, he visited home state Illinois twice, Georgia twice, Oregon, A&M, LSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Auburn and possibly a couple more. He went through a very deliberate process and made a deliberate choice.
Huh? They're having a signing day special six months before signing day?
It's great to hear we have a quarterback with real velocity on their throws. We've have far too many QBs who's balls die in the wind come October through December.
DB James Johnson takes first official visit to Utah, calls Morgan Scalley talk impactful
Read In App
Belleville (Ill.) East 2027 safety James Johnson (6-3, 185) has been a fast-rising recruit over the spring. He picked up his first Big Ten offer last month from Illinois. But the in-state program isn’t the only Big Ten offer as Nebraska jumped in soon after.
But now Johnson has begun his official visits and Utah got the first shot at him over the weekend.
“The visit was great,” Johnson said.
“The food was delicious, the coaching staff was amazing and the views were breathtaking. Never seen a place more beautiful in the United States. My family enjoyed the visit also.”
Johnson also added that the best part of the whole trip was meeting Zack Moss who played running back at Utah before being drafted into the NFL.
Utah is recruiting the talented prospect as a safety like most schools are now. He told me that he’s completely comfortable with their defensive scheme and how they want to use him.
Johnson’s sit down with coach Morgan Scalley was an impactful one. That talk will carry weight in the recruitment.
“He said something that really stuck out for me,” Johnson said. “That was prioritizing things in my life for success. He’s a big family guy and treats his players like his family too. I really appreciate that and would really hope to have that feeling from a head coach on the next level.”
Up next for Johnson will be a trip to Cincinnati. That’s followed by trips to Nebraska and West Virginia.
“I’m looking for player development and equal opportunity,” Johnson said. “If I’m playing better than the older guys I expect to play.”
Another good school to get their foot in the door with again.