5 Top-Performing Quarterback Recruits from 2016 New Orleans Elite 11 Regional

NEW ORLEANS — Clear blue skies and steady, but firm, winds greeted the number of quarterbacks hoping to punch a ticket to the Elite 11 finals with a strong performance at the 2016 New Orleans Elite 11 Regional.

While no one was able to earn that coveted invitation at the camp's conclusion, the Elite 11 coaching staff still had a handful of options to plug into the camp’s pressure-chamber showcase—which selects the five best passers to compete at the end of the camp in a half-skeleton drill against the camp’s best linebackers and defensive backs.

Brian Stumpf, who serves as the president of events for student sports, noted the strength of the group after watching film on the players prior to the event.

“I think we came in saying there might not be the guy that has the pre-camp resume combination of good tape and physical traits and that sort of stuff. But, I think they competed well,” Stumpf told Bleache Report. “I think at the end of the day, we talked about with this group that it was the closest race we’ve had for MVP with our coaches going back and forth on two or three guys. But overall, this was a really good group where eight or 10 guys could’ve made the final five for the showcase.” 

The group featured stud recruits such as 4-star Louisiana native Lowell Narcisse and other prospects such as 3-star Virginia standout Lindell Stone—who had already competed at one of the earlier regionals. 

In the end, a few under-the-radar field generals emerged—including a player who won MVP despite battling a case of food poisoning in the hours leading up to the camp. 

Which prospects were worthy of earning a spot among the camp’s top five overall performers?

5. 3-Star Justice McCoy

Narcisse wasn’t the only Pelican State passer looking to put on a strong showing on his home turf.

Justice McCoy, a 3-star quarterback out of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, had caught the eye of the Elite 11 staff as an underclassman at this camp a year ago. 

While the 6’1”, 180-pounder is listed as a dual threat quarterback, he showed good mechanics and accuracy when dealing from the pocket throughout the camp.

West Virginia is currently the lone Power Five program to offer McCoy. However, that could change if he continues to show progress during his senior season.

Stumpf’s Take: "Justice McCoy from St. Augustine. We saw some stuff that we liked on tape. He can really throw it and spin it. He’s crisp, and he gets it out quickly. For a city like New Orleans that hasn’t really traditionally produced pure passers, Justice is a guy that pops to the forefront in the last couple of years in my mind. He can throw it. He’s not just a dual-threat guy. He can play in the pocket for someone at the next level. I was really impressed with his consistency today and how he threw it today."

4. 4-Star Lowell Narcisse

While Narcisse is already known in recruiting circles, one of the biggest questions entering the event was his health status.

As AL.com’s Wesley Sinor reported, Narcisse suffered a torn ACL last spring but returned to help lead his team on a run to the state title game. However, his junior season ended with another minor injury to the same knee. 

On Sunday, the former Auburn commitment looked to be moving comfortably while displaying a big arm and nice touch on deeper and intermediate routes.

“I think I had a good day overall. I thought I was mostly being consistent,” Narcisse said of his performance. 

He struggled at times with his accuracy, but rebounded to complete three of his five attempts in the pressure chamber event. 

Stumpf’s Take: "Lowell, I think for him it’s just a consistency thing. His flashes are as flashy as anybody. I think the things he showed last year coming back from his injury and gutting it out for his high school team, he showed the same thing here today with the way he competed. He showed some good things and some good throws, and he had some others where it looks like he’s still trying to get comfortable again with his motions. I love his intangibles, and he’s got plenty of physical ability. In terms of an upside guy at this event, he’s got to be up there if he keeps progressing and showing the work ethic he displayed in coming back from his injury. If he does that, he could really be something special in a few years.

3. 3-Star Lindell Stone

Stone entered the event after finishing among the top passers in a loaded field at the Atlanta regional last month.

The 6’2”, 205-pounder was among the more consistent performers on the day leading up to the pressure- chamber event.

He displayed great accuracy, footwork and a compact delivery throughout the day.

However, in the pressure chamber, he was only able to connect on one of his five attempts—with one of his incompletions coming because of a drop.

Still, considering he fared well in both of his regional auditions, Stone could be a prospect who nets an invitation to the Elite 11 finals down the road.

Stumpf’s Take: "Lindell came back for his second camp this year. We saw him in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. I think he built upon his first outing there where he was in the final showcase there in a really good group. I don’t know that he was head and shoulders above what he was [in Atlanta], but it was a good, solid day for him. It was a really tight quarterback group today, at the end. A couple of guys kind of stepped up to battle it out for MVP, but Lindell is obviously a Power Five prospect, and he had a good day for himself today."

2. 3-Star Myles Brennan

One player who has already enjoyed a fruitful prep career is 3-star passer Myles Brennan.

According to MaxPreps, the 6’3”, 180-pounder from St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has thrown for more than 11,000 yards and 117 touchdowns over the last two seasons.

Brennan flashed a big-time arm and was accurate throughout the day, as ESPN’s Derek Tyson noted. Brennan finished with three completions in his five attempts during the pressure-chamber event.

California, Kentucky, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Wisconsin are among the schools that have offered the No. 15 overall prospect from the Magnolia State. 

Brennan routinely earned praise from the Elite 11 staff throughout the event and even drew comparisons to former Cal star and current NFL draft hopeful Jared Goff. 

Stumpf’s Take: "It’s hard to tell on tape because he throws for a ton of yards. He has some good throws on tape. He’s a bit lanky. So halfway through the camp, because he’s blond, tall and skinny, we started calling him Jared Goff a little bit because that’s who he reminds us of in high school. He’s pure throwing the football. He’s got some real traits as you look at how he could potentially fill out. He’s obviously well-versed in the passing system because he gets a ton of reps for his high school team in terms of seeing different coverages and chunking the ball around the yard. If you put him in the right system in college, it’s easy to see that this guy could throw for 10 or 12,000 yards in his college career."

1. 3-Star Taylor Powell

After enjoying some seafood upon arriving in New Orleans, 3-star quarterback Taylor Powell spent most of the hours before Sunday’s camp wondering if he'd be fit to compete. 

“It was kind of rough to come out here with an upset stomach and feeling like crap,” Powell admitted. “But, this is my second one, so I was comfortable with the setting. It was fun to compete with these other great quarterbacks here. I’m good friends with all of them, and they are a great bunch of guys.”

After failing to make the final group in Dallas, Powell credited the work he’s been putting in the offseason for his elevated play at his second Elite 11 regional. 

“It’s about consistency and preparation. I’ve been throwing everyday with our receivers and just working on the finer points of playing the position,” Powell said. “That’s basically what it takes to be consistent.”

Powell shined during one-on-one, half-skeleton and red-zone drills—which earned him a spot in the final pressure-chamber competition. He completed three of his five attempts there—with both incompletions, including one that was intercepted, resulting from dropped passes. 

Overall, it was a performance that earned him MVP honors for the quarterback segment. 

The 6’1”, 202-pounder from Fayetteville High School [Arkansas] has seen the interest from colleges surge over the last three months. 

“I have 11 offers. I’m considering all of them right now,” Powell said. “I’ve visited Vanderbilt, Missouri, Wake Forest and Purdue recently. Right now, I don’t have dates lined up [for future visits], but I’m just trying to keep everything open and figure out where I want to go.” 

Stumpf’s Take: "He’s an amazing story. We saw him in Dallas a few weeks ago, and he was a guy we really liked on tape, but he was so-so at the camp, and he didn’t make the final showcase there. Today, he comes in with food poisoning he got last night eating the seafood down here. At the beginning, he was like, ‘I don’t know how I will do it today.’ With what he was dealing with overnight and the resiliency he showed out here, he had a great day throwing the football. He was crisp and much-improved from what we saw in Dallas. Considering the situation, it was a heck of a performance for him."

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani