Elite 11 2015: Ranking the Top 5 QBs Following Star-Studded Competition

The annual Elite 11 national finals provides a glimpse of college football's next crop of star quarterbacks. The event took place July 6-10 at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, and allowed analysts and camp coaches to assess 18 premier passers.

Based on in-person assessment and film study to this point, we ranked the top five quarterbacks in an impressive 2016 class. Prospects are rated considering past accomplishments, fundamentals and future potential.

On the Bubble

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KJ Costello 

• Santa Margarita Catholic High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, California)
• Committed to Stanford

The Southern California standout displays the best deep-ball touch in his class. Room for growth is substantial, and he is the most likely in this group to crash the party and become entrenched as a top-five talent at the position.

Costello, who stands 6'4", 213 pounds, pledged to the Cardinal over Michigan and USC in March. He threw for 5,088 yards, 41 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions during the past two seasons.

Shane Buechele

• Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas)
• Committed to Texas

The 6'2", 185-pound passer sat atop Elite 11 rankings during a majority of action in Oregon and certainly turned some heads along the way. Buechele, the son of former Texas Rangers third baseman Steve Buechele, easily claimed the most snaps on a seven-on-seven squad that also featured Jacob Eason.

Buechele completed 67 percent of pass attempts in 2014, tallying 2,492 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. He's also an intriguing rushing threat, gaining 572 yards and seven scores on the ground last season. 

Brandon McIlwain 

• Council Rock North High School (Newtown, Pennsylvania)
• Committed to South Carolina

McIlwain is a student of the game, and he's currently competing at the best shape of his life. The 6'0", 200-pound passer is a dual-sport standout who excels on the baseball diamond and brings a cannon onto the football field.

He is clearly on the rise among 2016 quarterback prospects and serves as a catalyst for South Carolina's recruiting class. McIlwain collected 7,100 total yards and 76 scores during the first three seasons of his high school career.

5. Jarrett Guarantano

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• High school: Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey)
• Size: 6'4", 194 lbs.
• Committed to Tennessee

While some Elite 11 competitors hit a physical wall due to fatigue during the week, Jarrett Guarantano just kept slinging ropes. His outstanding arm strength is just one element that secures him a spot on this list.

Guarantano, who tallied 1,288 yards and 18 touchdowns in seven games last season, is a confident young man with the type of long frame that should continue to expand in college. He has an incredibly live arm and a quick release that ensures the ball is on receivers in a hurry.

Though Elite 11 action predominately measures passing ability from the pocket, Guarantano is among the nation's true dual-threat weapons behind center. His athleticism allows him to create throwing opportunities on the run or turn upfield as a rusher, augmented by above-average speed at the position (4.65 seconds in the 40-yard dash).

"He's almost too talented. ... He's got everything you could ever want," Elite 11 leader Trent Dilfer told Paul Myerberg of USA Today. 

Though he was ultimately overshadowed by seven-on-seven teammate and Florida State quarterback commit Malik Henry during tournament action, Guarantano continues to display the rare tools we previously witnessed in camp settings and live game action.

4. Malik Henry

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• High school: Currently transferring (formerly at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida)
• Size: 6'2", 184 lbs.
• Committed to Florida State

Malik Henry arrived in Beaverton surrounded by mounting off-field questions following his abrupt and less than harmonious departure from IMG Academy, his third high school in three years. Henry is clearly an intelligent and athletically gifted kid, but some were concerned with his ability to take accountability as a leader.

Overall, Henry helped himself in that regard during action in Oregon. His body language and verbal direction throughout a highly competitive seven-on-seven tournament was refreshing to see. 

He emerged as a force who could rally teammates, leading team Mach Speed to the championship game. Henry also displayed outstanding chemistry with fellow 5-star Florida State commit and former IMG Academy teammate Isaac Nauta.

Henry, who threw for 4,413 yards and 36 touchdowns during the past two seasons at Westlake High School in California, consistently showed a knack for placing the ball in spots only his receivers could reach. That anticipation speaks volumes about Henry's development as a decision-maker.

"The goal is to get better every day. That's been my focus out here," he said in Beaverton.

3. Jacob Eason

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• High school: Lake Stevens (Lake Stevens, Washington) 
• Size: 6'5.5", 217 lbs.
• Committed to Georgia

Jacob Eason is clearly a promising passer loaded with superstar potential, but he failed to deliver the commanding Elite 11 performance many expected. Instead of standing above a crowded pack of quarterbacks, he primarily served as backup to Texas pledge Shane Buechele during seven-on-seven competition.

From a physical perspective, not many peers measure up to Eason. He projects to take his first college snaps in the 6'6", 230-pound range, and that right arm can really whip up some magic.

Eason showed off a rocket and superb range in Oregon. Those glimpses simply didn't come with the level of frequency that typically accompanies the 5-star passer and failed to match Josh Rosen's 2014 effort.

It's important not to be a prisoner of the moment and remember how commanding Eason has been throughout his high school career—6,228 yards and 59 touchdowns through 25 varsity games. Instead of cementing himself atop 2016 quarterback rankings, he opened the door for a much broader discussion of who figures to become best in this group.

2. Dwayne Haskins

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• High school: The Bullis School (Potomac, Maryland)
• Size: 6'3", 204 lbs.
• Committed to Maryland

Some analysts—consciously or unconsciously—will punish Dwayne Haskins for his Maryland commitment. He isn't headed to a school with a rich history of Heisman Trophy finalists or national championship contenders, so Haskins may spend his collegiate career proving people wrong and altering the narrative in College Park.

Brush any program bias aside and you're left with an exemplary quarterback prospect who belongs in consideration as a top-25 overall recruit in this cycle. Haskins is a student on and off the field, while displaying the desired features of a team leader.

"He's a great quarterback who knows how to run an offense. The sky's the limit for Dwayne," said 4-star wide receiver Trevon Diggs, a top Terrapins target who is also considering Alabama.

Haskins, who threw for 3,066 yards and 36 touchdowns during the past two seasons, hit his targets with more precision than anyone on this list not named Shea Patterson. That's exactly what we've witnessed while scouting him in the past, and his consistency endured at Elite 11 finals.

He decidedly beat out LSU pledge Feleipe Franks and South Carolina commit Brandon McIlwain for the bulk of snaps on his seven-on-seven squad. Haskins read his progressions well and rarely lofted the football into dangerous territory, delivering darts with impressive touch as needed.

"I'm a game-changer whenever I have the ball in my hands, whether it's first down or third down," he said. "I'm going to get the job done. I don't make too many mistakes, and if I do make a mistake, there won't be one the next play. It's about making sure I capitalize on everything around me."

1. Shea Patterson

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• High school: Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, Louisiana)
• Size: 6'1", 197 lbs.
• Committed to Ole Miss

Shea Patterson surged into the spotlight Friday, delivering his seven-on-seven team to a tournament title and claiming Elite 11 MVP honors. He impressed onlookers and teammates alike.

"He's the No. 1 QB to me," 4-star Ohio State running back commit Demario McCall said. "That kid is a beast. He's an animal."

Patterson landed on the national recruiting radar early, committing to Arizona as a freshman. He backed off that verbal pledge last year, weighing offers from USC and LSU before committing to Ole Miss.

His high school success has resulted in sensational production. Patterson completed 63 percent of passes for 5,083 yards and 72 touchdowns during the past two seasons, tossing just seven interceptions in the process.

That accuracy was on full display in Oregon, as Patterson picked apart defenses loaded with top-tier talent. This performance, coupled with his efforts from recent campaigns, pushes him to the top of this list entering the 2015 season.

Patterson, one of the most improvisational quarterbacks we've scouted this decade, expects to enroll early at Oxford.

"My ultimate goal for this senior season is to do as much as I can to prepare myself for college in the spring," Patterson said. "That means working hard every day in an effort to get better. I need to get faster, I need to get stronger, and hopefully everything will pay off at Ole Miss."

Quotes and observations obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue unless otherwise noted.

Stats courtesy of 247Sports. Prospect measurements courtesy of Student Sports.