5 Top-Performing Quarterback Recruits from 2016 Dallas Elite 11 Regional
COPPELL, Texas — If nothing else, Matt James is always honest. As the regional head coach of The Opening and one of the main individuals following quarterbacks for Elite 11 consideration, you have to be blatantly honest if you want to see athletes get better.
Sunday's Elite 11 Dallas regional had its pros and cons, as roughly 50 quarterbacks competed at Coppell High School for an invitation to the Elite 11 semifinal this summer in Los Angeles. The good news, James said, is that the pros outweighed the cons, particularly when looking at the entire field, including talent level and classification.
"It was a great group. We saw a bunch of guys who were working hard," James said. "As soon as we got here, the kids had their game faces on. We had a good [2019] class and a good [2018] class. ... It was good from top to bottom.
"We've had stronger overall, top-of-the-line guys here, but from top to bottom, from the '17s to the '19s, that was one of the better groups we've had."
Athletes from seven states—including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi—participated in Sunday's production. The half-skelly showdown, the final event that helped determine a camp MVP, came down to five athletes. Here is a look at those five quarterbacks, with James offering comments about each.
4-Star QB Shawn Robinson
1 of 5
Hometown (school): Denton, Texas (Guyer HS)
Size: 6'3", 213 lbs
247Sports.com composite ranking: No. 76 overall (No. 3 DUAL)
Size. Speed. Strength. Elusiveness. Shawn Robinson has everything you want in a dual-threat quarterback. The TCU commit showcased a strong arm and made his case to be a contender immediately.
Although he didn't win the quarterback MVP award for Sunday, he left Coppell High School with an invitation to compete at The Elite 11 semifinals this summer in Los Angeles. It's a goal he said he'd been working on since his freshman year.
Robinson committed to TCU last June. He chose the Horned Frogs over offers from Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama and in-state schools Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor, among others. Robinson brings a meaty resume to the table, throwing for 1,474 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 1,674 yards and 18 touchdowns his junior season.
James' comments: "We knew for him he had the athletic frame and has tons of offers. He throws the ball well—probably sometimes rips it too hard—but he's got a great lower body and base. I've seen him enough on film and see him moving. The thing I was impressed with was him in the pocket. He was fluid and showed me some things I hadn't seen on film yet."
4-Star QB Chris Robison
2 of 5
Hometown (school): Mesquite, Texas (John Horn HS)
Size: 6'2", 183 lbs
247Sports.com composite ranking: No. 191 overall (No. 9 PRO)
The Elite 11 coaches called Chris Robison "Pink hat" all day because of the cap he wore, but consider his wardrobe as a way to get noticed. It worked, and it helped him to win MVP honors for Sunday.
Robison, an Oklahoma commit, has been a varsity quarterback since his freshman year, and he didn't disappoint with his pocket presence and overall poise on the field. He also displayed solid arm strength and confidence with each pass.
Robison picked Oklahoma last June over offers from TCU, Oklahoma State, Kansas and others. He threw for 2,101 yards and 27 touchdowns with only four interceptions as a junior.
James' comments: "Chris didn't have the strong early hour, but he warmed up quick. He's got good arm strength and he's got good athleticism. I think where I saw him shine was when we got outside and the wind started to blow. He has a good arm and he cut through the wind. He was accurate with his ball."
4-Star QB Avery Davis
3 of 5
Hometown (school): Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill HS)
Size: 6'0", 190 lbs
247Sports.com composite ranking: No. 213 overall (No. 7 DUAL)
It's easy to see why many schools are high on Avery Davis. Along with being a playmaker, Davis is the kind of quarterback who gains respect from and gives all of the credit to his receivers. He showed his leadership and gamesmanship on the field Sunday.
Davis was an offensive catalyst his junior season, throwing for 2,148 yards and only four interceptions. He showed his athleticism by also leading the team in rushing, compiling 873 yards and 13 touchdowns. His arm strength and ability to escape the pocket were assets in Sunday drills.
Davis is uncommitted but has 16 reported offers. He said Notre Dame, Colorado and Texas Tech are in his current top three, and a final decision could be coming soon.
James' comments: "His film is great. All the coaches were high on him from the very beginning. He has the size and frame; the biggest thing with us is consistency. He's very athletic, and he runs well. We just want to see him be a little more accurate and more consistent. I've seen him enough on film to know what he can do. He showed me some things I hadn't seen on film that I was very impressed with."
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3-Star QB Cam Roane
4 of 5
Hometown (school): Colleyville, Texas (Colleyville Heritage HS)
Size: 6'2", 196 lbs
247Sports.com composite ranking: No. 564 overall (No. 24 PRO)
There's a lot to like about Cam Roane, particularly after a junior season that showed a lot of promise. Roane not only threw for 2,325 yards and 21 touchdowns this past season, but he also led his team in rushing with 467 yards and two touchdowns.
Roane's consistency earned him a spot in the final half-skelly, and he made good decisions with mid-range and deep pass attempts. His accuracy was a topic of discussion with the Elite 11 coaches throughout the day.
Look for Roane's recruiting to rise after Sunday's performance. He currently has only two offers from Arkansas State and Grambling State, but he should be a player to watch this spring and summer.
James' comments: "Cam was smooth all day long. He might not be the most athletic, but he's very fluid. His reps were great, he threw spirals and his reads were very good. He was probably the most accurate thrower we had all out. He impressed a lot of us."
2019 QB Grant Tisdale
5 of 5
Hometown (school): Allen, Texas (Allen HS)
Size: 6'1", 195 lbs
247Sports.com composite ranking: n/a
Allen High School's varsity team was loaded at quarterback with rising 3-star Mitchell Jonke and Minnesota signee Seth Green sharing snaps. Grant Tisdale showed that the future is bright for Allen on Sunday. His overall performance gave no reason for fans to expect a drop in quarterback play.
The freshman made solid throws and displayed poise in the pocket. He had a nice touch on mid-range throws and had velocity with all of his passes. Tisdale impressed Elite 11 coaches because he simply refused to look like a freshman in pressure situations.
Tisdale's recruiting process is still in its fledgling stage, but he already has an offer from SMU. He'll definitely be a player to watch in the 2019 class.
James' comments: "Grant tested off the charts. He threw a good ball. If you look at some of the reads and throws he made in the half-skelly showdown, he made a couple of good throws. I'm expecting some exciting things from him. He's very athletic and throws a nice, tight spiral."
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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