While the basketball team is making a huge splash in recruiting, the Illinois football team has snuck into a decent position with a top quarterback.
Heading into the 2025 campaign, the Illini are looking good. We have most of the roster returning from the 10-win season last year, and Bret Bielema did a good job filling any holes with key players from the transfer portal.
Bielema isn’t just tackling the transfer portal, though. The Illinois coaching staff has been doing a great job adding young talent to the mix in each recruiting class. Now, the Orange and Blue look to add one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
On Monday, Tom Loy of 247Sports reported that quarterback Trae Taylor has set a commitment date and time. He will be announcing his decision on Thursday, May 1, at 3:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. ET.
Top247 quarterback Trae Taylor, one of the top overall prospects from the class of 2027, is set to commit live on the 247Sports YouTube Channel.
— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) April 28, 2025
Here is a VIP Update, including my take, as well as one from the man himself, @AllenTrieu: https://t.co/YBtPhyAWYd@247Sports pic.twitter.com/WlKDnxY0l5
The decision for Taylor is down to just four programs. He will be choosing from LSU, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Illinois.
Taylor would be a massive get for any of the four teams. He is a four-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 35 player in the class of 2027. He is also the No. 3 quarterback in the country and the No. 2 player coming out of the state of Illinois.
Illinois football seems to have an uphill climb to land Trae Taylor
While the Illini are in the top four and are the home state program of Taylor, this recruitment seems like a one-horse race at this point.
If I had to guess, I think Nebraska is by far the leader right now. He has visited all of the programs, but Taylor took another visit to Nebraska this past week. He seems to be taking a shine to the Cornhuskers, and they have some deep pockets when it comes to NIL money.
Hypothetically, if Illinois did win this recruitment, Taylor would likely be the starting quarterback day one he steps on campus. He would join the team in 2027, and when you land a top 100 player, you start that player. I think he would have a starting job as long as he is in Champaign.
Illinois can provide you with a solid payday, a starting job, and a chance to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.