The Buzz: Coveted Illinois Quarterback Includes LSU Football in Final Five Schools

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers named a finalist for one of the top signal-callers in America, priority 2027 prospect.

Courtesy of Trae Taylor's X/Twitter: @Qb6Trae.

Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic quarterback Trae Taylor has carved out a path as one of the top young signal-callers on the prep scene.

Taylor, who's fresh off of an impressive sophomore campaign for his high school squad, has put America on notice after gaining a myriad of offers.

The touted quarterback has hauled in nearly 40 college offers following his two seasons with Carmel Catholic, and with a pivotal offseason ahead, he's trimmed his list.

Taylor has revealed his finalists with the LSU Tigers joining Texas A&M, Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is working through his process at a rapid pace after locking in on a handful of scholsl, but he's also ready to knock the recruiting process out of the way.

Taylor told On3 Sports that he plans to verbally commit to a program this summer on June 6th.

Inside the top five schools (Illinois, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas A&M) for Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic 2027 QB Trae Taylor who plans to commit on June 6. Story: https://t.co/UmLNfIqivj pic.twitter.com/OxFhhXPVwt

— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) February 13, 2025

Taylor has developed a relationship with LSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan across the last few months.

He's been to Baton Rouge on multiple occasions to soak in the scenes of Death Valley with the program ultimately making an impact in his recruitment.

The 2027 Recruiting Cycle is home to several impactful quarterbacks, including Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School star Elijah Haven.

Haven, the No. 1 overall player in America, is a signal-caller firmly on the LSU Tigers' radar given he's right down the road.

Now, one domino is set to fall sooner rather than later with Taylor looking to shutdown his process and commit to a school with LSU being deemed a finalist.

For Brian Kelly and Co., the staff has begun looking at quarterbacks for the future in the 2026 cycle as well with a Big Board coming to shape.

The LSU Quarterback Big Board: 2026 Cycle Edition

The Major Flip Target: Oregon Commit Jonas Williams

Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East four-star quarterback Jonas Williams is a signal-caller LSU is keeping close tabs on despite being verbally committed to the Oregon Ducks.

The No. 1 rated prospect in Illinois, and No. 7 quarterback in America, Williams is a hot commodity on the recruiting scene in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle.

The coveted quarterback recently wrapped up a junior campaign where he tossed for 2,926 yards and 42 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He completed 67.8 percent of his passes and logged another seven scores on the ground.

Now, after verbally committing to Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks in August of 2024, it hasn't stopped the top programs from reaching out to the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder.

That includes Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers with offensive coordinator Joe Sloan remaining in contact with the prized quarterback.

“I really like Coach (Joe) Sloan,” Williams told On3 Sports. Sloan took a trip to visit with the coveted quarterback and his family when coaches were on the road last month. 

“LSU is always a powerhouse in the SEC. Even though they had a down year this year they were still a good team. I expect and they have big expectations coming into next year. It’s a great offense, great staff and they always got dogs on the team.”

The Ducks hold the verbal commitment, but LSU and the USC Trojans are giving him something to think about, according to On3 Sports.

The Spring Visitor: Celina (Tex.) QB Bowe Bentley

Celina (Tex.) four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley is in the midst of a significant offseason with top programs in America extending offers his way.

The fast-rising prospect out of the Lone Star State has been on a hot streak as of late after reeling in scholarships from Florida State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas Tech.

Bentley is coming off of a dominant junior campaign where he began gaining national recognition as one of the top quarterbacks in Texas.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder torched defenses after logging 3,330 yards passing and 47 touchdowns while completing 70 percent of his throws. He added another 933 yards rushing and 16 more scores on his way to leading his prep squad to a state championship.

Now, Bentley's hot streak continues with the LSU Tigers entering the mix after extending an offer in early February.

The youngster has now locked in four visits for the spring, according to Rivals, with LSU getting one of their own.

Bentley is expected to visit LSU in March, a source confirmed to LSU Tigers On SI.

Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan picked up the phone and dished out an offer to the prized 2026 star last Wednesday and immediately began putting in work for Bentley's services.

LSU has begun looking to find a signal-caller in both the 2026 and 2027 cycles with a flurry of offers being dished out.

Jake Fette: Top-5 Quarterback in America, Arizona State Commit

El Paso (Tex.) Del Valle quarterback Jake Fette has become a household name in the 2026 Recruiting Class with SEC programs beginning to extend scholarships his way.

Fette, a current Arizona State commit, has reeled in offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State and other talented programs as he gears up for his senior campaign.

Now, LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan has extended a scholarship offer to Fette with the Tigers getting in the mix.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder out of the Lone Star State committed to the Arizona State Sun Devils in September, but it hasn't stopped the "Who's Who" of college football from remaining in contact.

The youngster burst on the scene as a sophomore in 2023 after throwing for over 2,400 yards and 27 touchdowns with only five interceptions on the season. He also ran for over 340 yards and an additional 13 scores.

Fast forward to his junior campaign in 2024 and he carried the momentum into a pivotal season for his recruitment.

The dynamic signal-caller tossed for 2,488 yards and 32 touchdowns through the air. He also added 589 yards and 11 more scores on the ground while showcasing his mobility.

Fette led his squad to an undefeated regular season in 2024 while becoming the "franchise quarterback" for Del Valle.

Now, despite remaining committed to Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils, other programs have turned up the heat with the LSU Tigers getting in the mix with an offer dished out.

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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