Elite 11 2015: Biggest Takeaways from Day 2

BEAVERTON, Oregon — Tuesday was the second day of open competition and the third day overall for Elite 11 participants. While Monday was more of a heavy workload day, with multiple drills for the quarterbacks, Tuesday was designed to show their overall game-management skills, as they each led a drive in a 7-on-7 setting.

It was less work-intensive but more game-simulated for quarterbacks who have had a grueling 48 hours prior to Tuesday. It also was a chance for the quarterbacks to get some light reps in before the next three days of competition, which will include the rest of the athletes selected for The Opening.

Here are some of the takeaways from Tuesday's action at Nike World Headquarters:

No days off for early leader Shane Buechele

Four-star Texas commit Shane Buechele entered Tuesday's competition as the Elite 11 competition front-runner. He won Monday's session-ending accuracy contest and saw his name atop the competition standings, per Elite 11's official Twitter feed:

Buechele then helped his case on Tuesday with an impressive showing in 7-on-7 drills. Out of six throws, he threw three touchdown passes. Buechele said he's looking to do more in the upcoming days.

"Being No. 1, walking in and seeing my name first is cool and all, but I know what I've got to do to keep it up there," said Buehele, who leads 4-star Stanford commit KJ Costello, 4-star Tennessee commit Jarrett Guarantano, 3-star Rutgers commit Anthony Russo and 4-star LSU commit Feleipe Franks—the nation's top-ranked dual-threat quarterback.

"There's no off day here, no off hour, no off anything," he said. "They're always watching and evaluating. You've got to take every minute as if it were your last."

Birthday boy Malik Henry looks solid

Florida State commit Malik Henry celebrated his 17th birthday on Tuesday. The 5-star prospect also gave a solid performance in his 7-on-7 opportunity, completing 4 of 6 passes with one touchdown. The two incomplete passes were receiver drops. Elite 11 highlighted Henry's birthday via Twitter:

It was the confidence boost needed for a player who didn't enter Tuesday's action ranked in the top 11. Henry used the standings as motivation and gave a performance worthy enough to garner a second look from the Elite 11 coaches.

"I just want to be as competitive as possible," Henry told Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani. "I like winning, and I don't like losing. I can't accept failure, so anything the coaches are trying to teach me, I'm going to keep working on it and try to get better at it."

Fourth star due for Michigan State-bound Messiah deWeaver?

With every throw, Michigan State commit Messiah deWeaver seems to put a dent in the system.

DeWeaver has been consistent with his throws and had a decent showing during 7-on-7 drills Tuesday. Throughout the Elite 11 spring and summer circuit, deWeaver has made plays that leave some questioning whether he's truly a 3-star prospect—perhaps he's much better.

It's something deWeaver tries not to worry about, but a fourth star could be warranted if he continues his elevated play in Oregon.

"I'm just hungry overall," he said. "It doesn't matter if I'm a 4-star, 5-star or 3-star, I just try to stay hungry and be the best I can be. Once we get to college, stars won't matter anyway."

Jake Zembiec taking advantage of Penn State ties

One advantage of having the Elite 11 college quarterback counselors around is that they can offer tutelage to the high school stars. For 3-star Penn State commit Jake Zembiec, the top-ranked player from the state of New York, it also means receiving valuable advice from a potential future teammate.

Christian Hackenberg is one of the counselors at the event, and Zembiec has made it a priority to get as much advice as possible from one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference. If Hackenberg chooses to stay on campus his senior year, he will team up with Zembiec in 2016 for Zembiec's freshman campaign.

"I've seen Christian a bunch when I visit campus, and we keep in touch," Zembiec told Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue, "but having him come out here and being able to work with him on the field and seeing him in meetings allows me to truly realize what he's about.

"I'm going to have to get accustomed to the same habits he picked up at Penn State. He's an example for me."

Sunburned Shea Patterson continues to persevere

This just in: Sunburns hurt.

For quarterbacks, a sunburn on a shoulder can be frustrating. It's something 5-star Ole Miss commit Shea Patterson dealt with Tuesday, but it also was something he considered another obstacle to overcome.

Credit: 247Sports

"I went through the first session [Monday] without sunblock on. Not a good idea," Patterson said. "This morning it was [hurting] before I started getting warmed up. Once I warmed up, it was fine."

Patterson wouldn't show the damage on the shoulder, but he said it was "pretty ugly." He also said he doesn't expect it to get in the way of his quest to win the Elite 11 competition. Currently, Patterson is in eighth place with three days of competition to go.

"I'll always be a competitor," he said. "It's awesome to compete with all the best quarterbacks in the country. I try not to pay too much attention to the rankings. That's the awesome part about it; all your hard work pays off, and you see yourself at the top.

"I'm just looking to get better, as a person and as a player. I'm taking everything that these coaches and counselors have given me. It's just an awesome experience."

All eyes on no-longer-underrated Brandon McIlwain

Last month, 4-star South Carolina pledge Brandon McIlwain was named the MVP of the Elite 11 semifinals in Los Angeles. He earned the honor almost as a sleeper, but he consistently impressed the coaching staff while maintaining a low-key demeanor.

McIlwain wants to keep the same approach in Oregon. He's currently in 10th place and is looking to make a major leap in the standings over the next three days.

In the same breath, McIlwain knows the other quarterbacks are keeping an eye on him. He won't sneak up on anyone in Oregon the way he did in Los Angeles.

"I don't feel any pressure," he said. "It's a great competition where you get to compete against the top guys in the country. I felt like I got to learn a lot, and I bought into what the coaches were teaching. It paid off, and I made a lot of improvements. I just want to do the same thing here."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles.