Carmel lost a major piece to its offense when junior quarterback Trae Taylor, a four-star prospect and Nebraska recruit, transferred out in order to finish his high school career at Millard South in Omaha.

A two-year starter, Taylor threw for 3,571 yards and 38 touchdowns with just three interceptions in 2025. With Taylor under center, the Corsairs went 8-3 and advanced to the second round of Class 7A playoffs, where they lost against St. Charles North 26-23.

While the news came as a shock for some players, returning starters like sophomore offensive tackle Wyatt VanBoening are ready to move forward. A four-star prospect and one of three sophomore starters on the offensive line, VanBoening has adopted a next-man-up mentality.

“Trae was a big contributor,” VanBoening said. “Trae was making what he believes is the best decision for him. At the end of the day, we’re going to have to throw the ball and we’re going to have to run the ball. We’re gonna have to play football, even if Trae isn’t our quarterback.”

VanBoening will look to anchor a Carmel offense that will graduate key seniors like wide receivers Eli Jackson, Kai Owens and left tackle Jalin Strowder. With Strowder, an EIU recruit, on the left side, VanBoening started on the right side. VanBoening, who stands 6 feet 7 inches and 285 pounds, is ready to lead by example the way Strowder did for him.

“He was the example and that’s what I want to be,” VanBoening said. “He put effort in and he made sure he was progressing throughout the year. There were games where he got hurt and he didn’t want to miss them. He came back and did his best. He was an example for me and that’s what I want to be for the younger kids in the program.”

VanBoening, who filled in at left tackle when Strowder was injured, is anticipating a shift to left tackle for his senior season. A strong run blocker in the fall, VanBoening said he’s looking to be more aggressive during his junior season. He cited Carmel’s Week 3 matchup against Providence, a 35-28 loss, as one that proved he could hold his own.

“They had a pretty good defensive line and I thought I held up pretty well,” VanBoening said. “It was a good challenge. I wanted to excel and I think that pushed me to want to be better. Going into the year, I didn’t know if I was strong enough, but I think a lot of it was just me being more confident in myself and just trying to give it my all.”

VanBoening is one of multiple sophomores who played big roles on the Carmel offense. Jaquel Edmonds and Jorden Moore had a combined 1,493 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while wide receiver Greg Bess-Henning posted 37 catches for 746 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Defensively, Jameer Miles ranks as one of the best sophomore players in the nation. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound linebacker posted 74 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five interceptions, three sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in the fall. Miles is the No. 1-ranked sophomore linebacker in Illinois, according to the 247Sports composite ratings.

“I thought I had an electrifying season,” Miles said. “It was a real breakout for me. I’m learning the game more and tapping into the linebacker spot. I thought I covered really well and I was able to make tackles in the open field. I really want to work on block shedding and getting off blocks to be able to make tackles from across the field.”

Miles, who split time at linebacker and wide receiver as a freshman, has picked up Power 4 offers from Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M and more. While he didn’t see much time on offense in the fall, Miles said he’s anticipating more of a two-way role during his junior season. Miles will be one of the 10 Friday Night Drive linebackers to watch.

“I thought we were able to stop the run really well,” Miles said. “We don’t have a lot of big guys, but for our size, we’re really good at stopping guys and causing them to go three-and-out on a lot of drives. Our coverage is pretty good, but we can improve on that and continue working on reading offense and knowing the route combos.”

The news of Taylor’s departure was tough for Miles, who has been learning about the recruiting process in a big way this offseason. Miles, who recently visited Ohio State, has the frame to play either edge or linebacker at the collegiate level. An admirer of NFL stars Julio Jones and Kyle Hamilton, Miles has grown to love linebacking.

“Trae’s a really good player,” Miles said. “It was heartbreaking. At the end of the day, we all supported him and let him know we’re here to support his decision. We respect him and what he has going on.”

Among Carmel’s graduating seniors are Division I signees Kai Owens (UMass) and Jalin Strowder (EIU). Eli Jackson (Michigan Tech) and Joseph Akalaonu (Quincy) are two more Corsairs signed to colleges. Owens had 44 catches for 825 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025. Jackson had 53 catches for 884 yards and seven touchdowns.