It’s easy to be enamored with Carmel quarterback and Nebraska recruit Trae Taylor’s statistics. A two-year starter who’s over halfway through his junior season, Taylor has thrown for 5,539 yards, rushed for 694 yards and totaled 63 touchdowns with just nine interceptions during his brief varsity career.

What makes Carmel head coach and former Chicago Bears fullback Jason McKie so high on Taylor, however, is that he will be the first to credit his teammates for those accolades. A four-star prospect and arguably the top quarterback in the state’s 2027 class, Taylor leads Carmel in rushing scores and has thrown touchdown passes to six different players this season.

“He knows he’s only going to be as good as his teammates and the people around him,” McKie said. “As a quarterback, you have to be a multiplier. He knows he has to bring everybody along with him. That’s the only way he’s going to get better and that’s the only way we’ll get better offensively. He understands that and he puts the work in. His teammates see that and they follow... He’s putting the work in and that’s why he’s seeing the results.”

Through eight games, Taylor has amassed 2,478 passing yards and 39 total touchdowns while committing only two turnovers. The 6-foot-3 junior from Lake in the Hills has Carmel (6-2, 1-1 CCL/ESCC Green) heading back to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. The standard is high for Taylor, who said the team’s overall improvement, from the offensive line play to the collective ownership of the team, has come from more than just himself.

“Last year, we left it up to the coaches to lead,” Taylor said. “This year, we’re much more player-led... Each and every week, we’ve had to come out with a different mentality and have the confidence to know that we have nothing to lose. It starts up front and from the O-line to the receivers and the running backs, everybody has put their piece into the offense. That’s all we needed.”

The Corsairs, who missed the playoffs after finishing with three regular-season wins last year, clinched their spot in this year’s playoffs after their 42-14 victory against three-time defending 8A state champion Loyola on Friday night. Taylor, who threw for 3,061 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore, showcased his arm talent against the Ramblers, completing 29 passes for 384 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing score.

“I have more trust in my guys,” Taylor said. “I know I have playmakers and I feel more comfortable in the pocket... When we looked at the film from last year, it wasn’t clicking for us. This year, the biggest thing has been getting the ball from the center’s hands to my hands and then into my playmakers’ hands as fast as possible. We have the guys to do that and we’ve displayed that we have the ability to do that. We’ve gotten it done so far.”

The junior signal caller’s skills were on full display just a few weeks ago, when Carmel and unbeaten Montini went back and forth in an offensive shootout between Taylor and Israel Abrams, another four-star quarterback prospect in the 2027 class. While the Broncos edged the Corsairs 55-54, Taylor and the Carmel offense stockpiled 719 yards of total offense. Taylor went 25 for 32 and threw for 505 yards while accounting for eight scores.

“It makes you understand that this is a team sport,” Taylor said. “I put it all on the line. Sometimes, the offense carries the defense and sometimes, the defense carries the offense. We’ve definitely been in situations like that before and in that game, our defense needed us... It was fun, but at the of the day, the goal for me is to get the win. I put great numbers up last year and those are numbers I won’t forget, but it doesn’t matter if we don’t win.”

Whether he’s throwing passes in the snow and rain or breaking down film on 5 a.m. Zoom calls, Taylor’s work ethic has enabled him to earn a leadership role for the Corsairs, who close out the regular season against Fenwick (No. 4 in 6A) later this week. As a freshman, Taylor played behind Johnny Weber, who’s now at Southeast Missouri State. Now an upperclassman with one more year of high school, Taylor’s role has evolved on and off the field.

“When he was a freshman, we knew he was an elite talent, but he wanted to be a freshman and follow the leadership of the older guys,” McKie said. “He understands that he’s one of the older guys now and we need him to be a leader and be vocal. He’s always led by example by doing the right things and putting the extra work in, but now, he’s being a more vocal leader.”

An All-CCL honoree as a sophomore, Taylor grew up in the Crystal Lake area and played basketball and football. The Nebraska commit, whose father J.R. starred as a running back at Eastern Illinois, where he resides in the Hall of Fame, began playing flag football around the age of 3 and gravitated to playing the quarterback position early in his career. Taylor’s high-level play has stemmed from the high-level expectations he has for himself.

“I don’t expect my receivers to go out there and make every single play,” Taylor said. “I expect myself to put the ball in the place for the receivers to make plays, but I need to put the ball in the best situation. My dad and coach McKie have high expectations for me because they know what I can do and how much of a workload I can take. They’ve seen me do it before.”

Taylor, who trains with Donovan Dooley of Quarterback University, a private development program based out of Detroit, has looked up to NFL players like Justin Fields and Jayden Daniels. His father J.R. introduced him to football and taught him the basics of playing quarterback. As he grew older, Taylor put basketball aside to focus on football. That’s when his love for the game sprouted and even with a high standard of play, he remembers to have fun.

“The biggest thing coach McKie has taught me is that football is a kid’s sport and you need to keep it fun,” Taylor said. “When you’re down at your lowest and you hear that, it makes you remember that if you go out there and have fun, you’ll be the best you can be. During the Montini game, there were moments when I was on the sideline smiling... Coach McKie reminds me all of the time that football is a fun game and I play it because I love it.”

Taylor doesn’t shy away from the pressure. In fact, it’s one of his favorite aspects of playing quarterback. As he approached high school, Taylor sought a program where he could challenge himself against top-tier opponents. A connection with Donovan Day, a 7-on-7 teammate who played running back at Carmel, led to a connection with McKie and a tour of the Carmel campus.

“I had a tour guide and I took a shadow day here,” Taylor said. “[Carmel] has everything I need: a great education, great football and great coaches.”

Taylor, who received his first collegiate offer in seventh grade, has traveled around the country to play football, competing at camps and playing 7 on 7s against other elite prospects. The No. 4-ranked 2027 quarterback prospect in the nation under the 247Sports composite ratings, Taylor holds offers from several of the top collegiate programs including Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, Auburn, Georgia and Notre Dame, all schools he’s visited.

“I’ve had throwing sessions from 5 a.m. in the morning to the middle of the school day until 8 p.m. at night,” said Taylor, who held about a dozen offers before starting his freshman year at Carmel. “There was so much driving. We’d fly to a state and then drive to camps in the states around there, or we’d fly from one state to another. It was amazing and I really thank my parents and everybody else who has supported me through that process.”

Taylor committed to Nebraska on May 1 and has formed a relationship with current Cornhusker starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, whose father Dominic spent 14 years with the Detroit Lions. While Taylor dreams of playing in the NFL, he said the academic and career opportunities at Nebraska helped to sway his decision. Taylor, who intends to study sports broadcasting, said his future aspirations include working in sports or being a quarterback coach.

“The school and the environment I’m going to be around are a lot like the environment I’m around here,” Taylor said. “Seeing the work ethic of the players and surrounding myself with them, they’re going to bring out the best player in me and prepare me for my dream of playing in the NFL.”