Millard South is turning the page from one high-profile quarterback to another, and the early read around the Nebraska prep giant is simple: don’t expect much drop-off.
Jett Thomalla is gone, but Trae Taylor has stepped into the spotlight for the Patriots, and he arrives with another Nebraska commitment in tow. Future NU receiver Tay Ellis is also new to the mix, and the pairing is already fueling talk that Millard South’s offense could look even sharper than it did a year ago.
That’s a bold standard to chase. Millard South didn’t just win the Class A state title last season - it rolled Papillion-La Vista South 49-0 in the championship game.
Thomalla ran the show and put up massive numbers, completing 193 of 266 passes, a 73% clip, for 3,484 yards and 61 touchdowns. He eventually signed with Alabama, though he never received a Husker offer despite the production.
Taylor’s own résumé gives the Patriots another proven arm. Last fall in Illinois, he threw for 3,571 yards and 38 touchdowns, and On3 believes Millard South is positioned to run the table in the regular season at 9-0 before making another push for a state title. The outlet also sees the Patriots as a team capable of winning a third straight championship after taking home the trophy in 2024 as well.
The new faces seem to think the pieces are already fitting together.
“We’ve been building really, really well. We’ve been very consistent on offense. We keep getting better each and every day,” Ellis told WOWT.
Taylor sounded just as encouraged about the way the group has come together during summer work.
“We’ve got like, almost 50-something days until our first game and day three (of summer practices) we have made a lot of progress,” the Nebraska quarterback commit told the television station earlier this month. “This is a huge stepping stone for our next step, but I think just in general, too, as a team, us coming in, they’ve really accepted us a lot.”
Millard South did have real turnover after its 2025 powerhouse season. Ten graduates signed with Division 1 schools.
But with Taylor and Ellis now in the fold, the Patriots have added two Nebraska commits who already have chemistry, and that’s the kind of setup that keeps the pressure on everyone else in Class A. The next chapter is close to starting.
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