Beyond the usual high school football rivalry, did Braylen Warren have a chip on his shoulder on Friday night when Omaha Westside faced off against Millard South and Nebraska commit Trae Taylor? Was the spotlight a little too bright for Taylor?
The showdown between the two high-profile prospects certainly didn’t turn out the way Husker fans would have preferred, especially since Warren is committed to Missouri and was never even offered by Matt Rhule and Co.
Omaha Westside vs. Millard South was billed as a battle of the titans because both starting quarterbacks were committed to Power 4 schools. However, after the game initially looked like a back-and-forth slugfest, Warren and his crew got the better of Taylor and his bunch, winning 41-17.
The game went from a 10-10 first-half tie to a win for Westside, thanks in no small part to the Nebraska pledge’s three second-half interceptions. Considering Taylor hasn’t had a game like this in his high school career, the spotlight and the atmosphere may have gotten to him, and the young quarterback tried to do too much.
Missouri commit Braylen Warren outshines Nebraska football QB commit Trae Taylor in rivalry win
Early in the third quarter, Westside took a 17-10 lead on Warren’s 26-yard pass to Luke Weiss. It was three plays after Kor’Dai Richard picked off Taylor at the Patriots' 29. Taylor and the Patriots answered right back, making the score 17-17. However, after a defensive stop, the Nebraska commit threw his second interception, and Warren (committed to Missouri and playing in front of Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz) led his team to the end zone for a 24-17 lead.
Warren continued his hot streak, throwing two more touchdowns, and Westside got a field goal to seal the final score.
Until Friday night, Trae Taylor looked like the best high school quarterback in the state. He and his team were running up points like nobody’s business. This is the first time since he came to play for Millard South that he’s really struggled.
Still, considering that Matt Rhule and Nebraska missed out on another in-state quarterback last year in Jett Thomalla, who ended up committing to Alabama because the Huskers took Dayton Raiola instead, questions are bound to arise.
The answer is a simple one. When Nebraska was able to land a quarterback as talented as Trae Taylor, there isn’t a coach in the country who would fault them. After all, he’s one of the best recruits in the entire 2027 class. One bad performance doesn’t mean that Taylor is somehow lesser. It doesn’t mean that Warren is obviously the better quarterback.
It does mean the state of Nebraska is producing top-notch talent at a level no one could have imagined even five years ago. While taking Trae Taylor over Braylen Warren is both acceptable and understandable, the Huskers need to keep a closer eye on their backyard from here on out.
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