Ultimate Guide to 2016 Elite 11 Finals QB Competition

Premier high school quarterbacks from across America are set to invade Los Angeles County this week when the Elite 11 finals take place from June 3-5 at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach.

The event features 24 passers progressing toward their senior seasons, including several who've already announced collegiate intentions. Some of these competitors will arrive in California as underdogs and have limited recognition across the national landscape, while others secured scholarship offers before their first varsity snaps. 

The impressive collection of quarterbacks will undergo intensive training, operating inside and outside the pocket and learning how to perform under duress. Elite 11 coaches will challenge the physical abilities and mental aptitude of each athlete, with pressure mounting as drills progress.

When finals wrap up Sunday, just 12 quarterbacks will be selected to attend The Opening at Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Those dozen will then contend for Elite 11 MVP honors while leading seven-on-seven teams through a star-studded tournament at the invite-only showcase in July.

The group preparing for action in Redondo Beach is eclectic, as 14 regional camps presented diverse opportunities for players to qualify. They'll represent more than themselves in California, carrying the expectations of hometown communities in different corners of the country.

The Finalists

Name	High School	Composite QB Ranking	College Status
Jake Allen	St. Thomas Aquinas (FL)	No. 9 pro-style	Florida commit
Connor Blumrick	Pearland (TX)	No. 44 pro-style	Texas A&M commit
Myles Brennan	St. Stanislaus (MS)	No. 16 pro-style	LSU commit
Chase Brice	Grayson (GA)	No. 11 pro-style	Clemson commit
Sean Clifford	St. Xavier (OH)	No. 10 pro-style	Penn State commit
Avery Davis	Cedar Hill (TX)	No. 8 dual-threat	Notre Dame commit
Tommy DeVito	Don Bosco Prep (NJ)	No. 71 pro-style	Syracuse commit
Sam Ehlinger	Austin Westlake (TX)	No. 6 dual-threat	Texas commit
Jake Fromm	Houston County (GA)	No. 3 pro-style	Georgia commit
Chase Garbers	Corona Del Mar (CA)	No. 21 pro-style	uncommitted
Jake Haener	Monte Vista (CA)	No. 47 pro-style	uncommitted
Hunter Johnson	Brownsburg (IN)	No. 2 pro-style	Clemson commit
Mac Jones	Bolles (FL)	No. 15 pro-style	Kentucky commit
Johnathan Lewis	St. Peter's Prep (NJ)	No. 17 dual-threat	Rutgers commit
Rocky Lombardi	Valley (IA)	No. 15 dual-threat	Michigan State commit
Tate Martell	Bishop Gorman (NV)	No. 1 dual-threat	uncommitted
Dylan McCaffrey	Valor Christian (CO)	No. 1 pro-style	Michigan commit
Davis Mills	Greater Atlanta Christian (GA)	No. 4 pro-style	Stanford commit
Kellen Mond	IMG Academy (FL)	No. 4 dual-threat	Baylor commit
Lowell Narcisse	St. James (LA)	No. 5 dual-threat	LSU commit
Shawn Robinson	DeSoto (TX)	No. 3 dual-threat	TCU commit
Chris Robison	Horn (TX)	No. 7 pro-style	Oklahoma commit
Jack Sears	San Clemente (CA)	No. 14 pro-style	uncommitted
Tua Tagovailoa	St. Louis (HI)	No. 2 dual-threat	Alabama commit

California is well-represented with three in-state standouts in attendance, while 5-star Tate Martell started his high school career in Southern California before transferring to Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman.

Georgia and Florida also sent a trio of passers, though Texas paces the pack with five Elite 11 finalists who play for in-state programs. 

In terms of composite ratings, this collection is quite a mixed bag.

Each 5-star quarterback prospect (Dylan McCaffrey, Hunter Johnson and Martell) will attempt to validate immense hype. McCaffrey and Johnson committed to Michigan and Clemson, respectively, as juniors, while Martell is considering Ohio State, Cal, Miami, UCLA, USC and others.

"We'd heard a lot about [Johnson] and had watched him on film," Elite 11 instructor Matt James told Bleacher Report's Damon Sayles. "He went to [the Elite 11] Columbus [regional] last year, so he was already on everybody's radar. ... He makes the right throw in every situation."

Meanwhile, three contenders (Connor Blumrick, Jake Haener and Tommy DeVito) are listed outside the top 1,000 overall prospects in the 2017 recruiting cycle. DeVito is a Syracuse commit, while Haener remains undecided and Blumrick recently replaced Martell in Texas A&M's recruiting class. 

Last year, 3-star prospects such as Anthony Russo, Nick Starkel and Jett Duffey showed glimpses of significant promise during Elite 11 finals, forcing analysts to reconsider initial assessments. 

"I knew that if I come in and throw the ball the way I know I can throw it, it’s up there with the top guys in the country,” Haener told B/R's Sanjay Kirpalani. “I’m not scared of competing with them."

Recruiting Storylines

Still searching for his first Power Five offer, Haener is one of four quarterbacks to enter the Elite 11 finals without a collegiate commitment in place. The others are Jack Sears, Chase Garbers and Martell, who initially pledged to the Washington Huskies in middle school.

Martell, who released a top seven Tuesday, is the top-rated uncommitted quarterback in the country:

"

My Official Top 7 (No Order)
---------------------------
•USC
•UCLA
•WEST VIRGINIA
•CAL
•OHIO STATE
•MIAMI
•COLORADO pic.twitter.com/NYclqJCwpo

— Tate Martell (@TheTateMartell) May 31, 2016"

Many eyes are on Kellen Mond, a 4-star prospect set to replace 2015 Elite 11 MVP Shea Patterson under center at IMG Academy. He pledged to Baylor last June before a series of off-field bombshells altered everything at team facilities. 

The Bears program is under intense scrutiny in the wake of widespread sexual abuse allegations against players during Art Briles' tenure. After 50 victories in the past five seasons, the head coach couldn't weather the storm, and on May 26 the school's administration announced its intent to terminate his contract, leaving committed players like Mond wondering what to do next.

"I definitely committed there because of Art Briles," Mond told B/R.

By the time he throws his first pass in Redondo Beach, Mond may reopen the recruiting process or leap into another class. Auburn and Ohio State are notable alternative landing spots, should he bolt from Baylor.

Among the 20 committed recruits invited to the Elite 11 finals, seven anticipate playing careers on SEC campuses. This leads all conferences, while the Big 12 and Big Ten follow behind with four pledges apiece.

A tandem of LSU-bound quarterbacks, Myles Brennan and Lowell Narcisse, highlights the SEC haul. Clemson, the reigning ACC champion, also carries commitments from two Elite 11 finalists, securing verbal pacts with both Johnson and Chase Brice in December.

The past three passers to receive Elite MVP honors signed with SEC squads. Patterson (2015) is now a freshman at Ole Miss, while Blake Barnett (2014, Alabama) and Sean White (2013, Auburn) are developing into roster veterans at conference rivals.

It may come as a surprise to learn that Rutgers is represented for a second straight year. Russo qualified last summer while committed to the Scarlet Knights, though he flipped to Temple following head coach Kyle Flood's dismissal, and now pivotal Chris Ash pickup Johnathan Lewis is in the mix two years after his high school (St. Peter's Prep) produced Elite 11 finalist Brandon Wimbush.

Elite 11 Legacy

The compilation of past Elite 11 competitors is filled with field generals who flourished in FBS action and beyond. Among the past 11 quarterbacks to win a Heisman Trophy, 10 of them attended Elite 11 camps at the national and/or local level.

This network of alumni includes Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston, AJ McCarron, Matthew Stafford and Tim Tebow. Multiple members of the 2015 Elite 11 class are likely to challenge for starting reps this fall as true freshmen.

We'll begin to further understand the capabilities of this latest crop of young quarterbacks during a busy weekend.

"I just want to improve every day from now and go out there and do my best against these other top guys," McCaffrey, the younger brother of 2015 Heisman Trophy finalist Christian McCaffrey, told Kirpalani in May upon receiving his invitation.

"There's nothing better than competing against the best," added Texas commit Sam Ehlinger, who traveled approximately 1,500 miles to earn his spot at a New Jersey regional.

Future rivals will go head-to-head throughout the weekend, providing fans with early opportunities to monitor the progress of quarterbacks who could someday ignite explosive offensive attacks in college. These recruits aim to play paramount roles in high-profile matchups such as Oklahoma-Texas, Alabama-LSU, Michigan-Michigan State and Notre Dame-Stanford.

The competition should be captivating in Southern California. 

Tyler Donohue is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.