5 Top-Performing QB Recruits from 2015 Chicago Elite 11 Regional

Many of the Midwest's top high school quarterbacks journeyed to Chicago this past Sunday. An impressive collection of passers competed in the latest installment of Elite 11 action, which ultimately concludes with the national finals held this July at Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

The Windy City setting saw several college-bound quarterbacks clash and put their skills on display through a series of drills. Here's a look at the top five passers from a busy day, along with insight from a variety of analysts, athletes and coaches.

3-Star QB Messiah deWeaver

Credit: 247Sports

Class: 2016

High School: Wayne (Dayton, Ohio)

Size: 6'4", 215 pounds

247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 359 overall; No. 15 pro-style quarterback

Messiah deWeaver brings an impressive physical frame to the field, looking far more mature than when he first competed in Elite 11 action as a freshman. His ability to do damage on the move makes him more dangerous than many "pro-style" contemporaries and allows him to buy time as things develop downfield.

deWeaver, who earned positional MVP honors in Chicago, still must become more polished from a mechanical standpoint, but his raw arm strength is apparent in the way he launches passes. He received praise from Elite 11 leader and NFL Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer, according to Mike Griffith of MLive.com.

"You're going to be special one day," Dilfer told deWeaver.

He committed to Michigan State in April. He was previously pledged to Michigan during former head coach Brady Hoke's tenure.

He Said It

"The drills were specific, everything was technical, the rollout drills, seven-step drop stuff, and I think I threw every route about 25 times,'' deWeaver told Griffith. "I got better today, and to win the MVP was a blessing. It's good for Wayne High School, and good for Michigan State.''

4-Star QB Brandon Peters

Credit: 247Sports

Class: 2016

High School: Avon (Avon, Indiana)

Size: 6'5", 205 pounds

247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 182 overall; No. 9 pro-style quarterback

Brandon Peters became the first 2016 prospect to personally commit to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, ending a four-month pledge drought for the class in early April. Though his latest performance didn't warrant MVP honors, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him eventually earn an invitation to the Elite 11 finals. 

247Sports analyst Steve Wiltfong noted Peters "has as much ability as any quarterback in the country," though consistency was elusive at times throughout the day. He's a passer with plenty of upside, which should be tapped into by Harbaugh, a longtime NFL quarterback, and Wolverines passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch, who coached Blake Bortles with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.

"The arm talent is there, one time throwing a dime after a pump-fake reset with no lower body going into the throw," Wiltfong observed Sunday.

He Said It

"[Harbaugh] compared me to Andrew Luck," Peters told Bleacher Report after his commitment. "It's a similar situation to what he had at Stanford, with Luck being the first quarterback recruit he brought in [with a full cycle]. He thinks I'm a really good fit for him at Michigan like Luck was for him there."

3-Star QB Thomas MacVittie

Credit: 247Sports

Class: 2016

High School: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Size: 6'4", 210 pounds

247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 860 overall; No. 22 dual-threat quarterback

Thomas MacVittie wasn't the most well-known quarterback in a crop that featured multiple 4-star talents headed to perennial postseason contenders. That didn't stop the Pittsburgh pledge from stealing a sizable portion of the spotlight in Chicago.

He's an interesting case due to the fact that 2015 will be his first season as full-time starter under center at Archbishop Moeller. MacVittie served as backup quarterback and a wide receiver last season, though expectations are already high more than three months before the upcoming campaign.

Early on in Sunday's competition, Dilfer told Wiltfong that MacVittie was the "most naturally gifted kid" in attendance.

He Said It

"He's going to be one of the bigger steals in college football," Archbishop Moeller head coach John Rodenberg told Jerry DiPaola of Trib Total Media. "He will have a monster season for us. We're a big-time high school. A lot of times our guys don't get to play until they are seniors. He probably would have started for anybody else in the city."

4-Star QB Seth Green

Credit: 247Sports

Class: 2016

High School: Allen (Allen, Texas)

Size: 6'4", 216 pounds

247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 213 overall; No. 5 dual-threat quarterback

Seth Green spent the past stages of his high school career competing in Minnesota, but he transferred to Allen High School in the Dallas area for the 2015-16 school year. Green has enormous shoes to fill, replacing a 5-star quarterback (Kyler Murray) who never suffered a varsity loss en route to three straight Texas state titles.

He certainly looked the part of a prime-time playmaker in Chicago, drawing rave reviews from onlookers. It wasn't an immaculate effort, but Green did enough to show he has a chance to follow in Murray's footsteps to success.

"He had the strongest arm on the day, made the most pure power throws," Wiltfong wrote. "Consistency hurt Green at times today, but as his footwork and technique improve with reps, Green's upside is as high as any signal-caller that was on the field."

Green committed to Oregon in October.

He Said It

"He's got exactly what you want from a quarterback from a personality standpoint," former coach and mentor Brooks Bollinger told Bleacher Report. "He's really comfortable with who he is, which gives him natural confidence, but he's not arrogant." 

3-Star QB Skylar Thompson

Credit: 247Sports

Class: 2016

High School: Fort Osage (Independence, Missouri)

Size: 6'2", 195 pounds

247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 500 overall; No. 15 dual-threat quarterback

Skylar Thompson is considered the top passer in a state that produced 2014 Elite 11 finals contender Drew Lock, who signed with Missouri in February. He may not see his recruitment reach the escalated state of Lock's collegiate interest, but Thompson is talented enough to already hold a half-dozen offers. 

His consistency Sunday was lauded, and despite surrendering some size to other top competitors, Thompson put himself in position to push for positional MVP honors. Judging by how he handled the most demanding segment of Elite 11 drills, there's a lot to like about his chances for increased college opportunities in the upcoming months.

"Thompson was outstanding in the Pressure Cooker, throwing the ball with a ton of confidence and ton of zip," Wiltfong wrote. "He looks natural and was accurate with the football."

His offer list includes Kansas, Ohio and Wake Forest.

He Said It

"We send in the plays, but he has the opportunity to make a change at the line," Fort Osage head coach Ryan Schartz told Bill Althaus of The Examiner. "He rarely makes a mistake, and he's a great leader. It’s been fun to watch him grow as a player and a young man since last season."

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.