The Elite 11 QB showcase is underway and it’s not surprising that this group of quarterbacks hasn’t gotten the same coverage as some previous classes. The quarterbacks in the Class of 2017 certainly have potential, but there doesn’t seem to be a real consensus on how much better some are than others.
Whereas last year there was guys like Shea Patterson, Jacob Eason, Malik Henry, Jack Allison and Jalen Hurts who could spark debates, this year it’s more of a question of which one will legitimately be a game changer in college.
The televised portion of the Elite 11 and The Opening (more on that later) will be on ESPNU on July 9 and July 10 and they will include the 7-on-7 round-robin tournament that most of us are more interested in.
However from the Elite 11 showcase itself here’s a few things to look for.
SEC commits in action: Three prospects who have made verbal commitments to SEC programs will be in Oregon through the weekend. The highest-ranked of the group is Georgia commit Jake Fromm, who flipped from Alabama during the spring.
#Georgia QB pledge @FrommJake lets it fly #GETOPEN #Dawgs pic.twitter.com/kozThxr4Ra
— Sanjay Kirpalani (@SanjayKirpalani) July 6, 2016
Fromm is joined by more recent Alabama commit Tua Tagovailoa and LSU commit Myles Brennan. It’s a good chance for a prospect like Brennan, ranked 29th nationally, to move up on ranking boards and he also wants to honor his recently-passed grandmother.
Two other quarterbacks who have committed to SEC schools and are ranked in the top 10, Kellen Mond (Texas A&M) and Lowell Narcisse (LSU), will not be at the event.
Tua Tagovailoa (@Tuaamann_) with the deep ball #Elite11 #TheOpening pic.twitter.com/TgcHVZujdJ
— Andrew Nemec (@AndrewNemec) July 6, 2016
The Lone Wolf: 11 of the 12 QBs invites (yes the Elite 11 has 12 quarterbacks … don’t laugh as they have invited 18 quarterbacks the past couple of years) are committed. The only one remaining out there is Jack Sears from San Clemente, Calif. Sears is ranked 16th nationally among QBs. He recently took an unofficial visit to Tennessee but did not mention the Vols in a more recent update. Duke, UCLA, Utah and USC are the other potential suitors.
https://twitter.com/DanielJWalkerLA/status/750822493347192833
The near misses: Former Texas A&M commit Tate Martell, now firmly in the Ohio State camp, will be around all weekend, as will Davis Mills, an Atlanta area prospect who spurned Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas to commit to Stanford.
Martell’s stock has seemed to slip slightly as questions about his height (somewhere between 5-9 and 5-11 depending on who you ask) become louder. Mills could shine at this event as really push Hunter Johnson (Clemson commit) and Dylan McCaffrey (Michigan commit) as the top quarterback in the class.
QB Davis Mills connects with Tylan Wallace pic.twitter.com/DQXCDHZpDH
— Luke Stampini (@LukeStampini) July 7, 2016
Here are the list of quarterbacks participating in the Elite 11
| Player | Rank (Stars) | HS state | Committed to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Johnson | 1st (5 stars) | Indiana | Clemson |
| Dylan McCaffrey | 2nd (5 stars) | Colorado | Michigan |
| Tate Martell | 3rd (4 stars) | Nevada | Ohio State |
| Jake Fromm | 4th (4 stars) | Georgia | Georgia |
| Davis Mills | 5th (4 stars) | Georgia | Stanford |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 6th (4 stars) | Hawaii | Alabama |
| Sam Ehlinger | 12th (4 stars) | Texas | Texas |
| Chris Robison | 13th (4 stars) | Texas | Oklahoma |
| Sean Clifford | 14th (4 stars) | Ohio | Penn State |
| Jack Sears | 16th (4 stars) | California | Undecided |
| Myles Brennan | 29th (3 stars) | Mississippi | LSU |
| Tommy Devito | 40th (3 stars) | New Jersey | Syracuse |
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
