Watch 4-star QB pull savage move on Illinois before committing to Nebraska

For a second there, it looked like Illinois football and Bret Bielema pulled off a huge recruiting win, as they were able to land 4-star quarterback Trae Taylor. However, the 2027 prospect pulled a fast one on everyone and it was something no one saw coming.

On Thursday, Taylor announced his commitment live with 247Sports. As he was sitting at a table with his family and friends, Taylor let the crowd on hand know that he was going to 'stay home' and play for Illinois. However, he then tossed the Illinois hat to the side and then revealed he was actually committing to Nebraska. Goodness:

4-star QB Trae Taylor trolled Illinois right before announcing for Nebraska

The 4-star signal-caller was deciding between four finalists: Nebraska, Illinois, LSU and Texas A&M. With Taylor being a standout for Carmel Catholic, which is located about three hours away from Champaign, a lot of Illini fans thought Bielema would come out on top here.

Again, it sure seemed that way for a moment, but in the end, it was just Taylor pulling a prank and having some fun with his decision. This is disappointing news for Bielema, but that's certainly not the case for Matt Rhule, who must be fired up that he was able to land the '27 signal-caller.

Taylor is ranked the No. 3 QB in his class, the No. 2 prospect from Illinois and the No. 35 player nationally according to the 247Sports Composite. In addition to his finalists, he also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Colorado and many others - he had picked up 38 tenders throughout his recruitment.

Moving forward, Bielema and Illinois will have to go to Plan B for their 2027 quarterback efforts. There's obviously still a long way to go until Taylor will put the pen to paper with Nebraska, but for now, Illinois will be a bit disappointed it's letting an in-state playmaker suit up down the road for a Big Ten rival.