5 Top-Performing Quarterback Recruits from 2016 Chicago Elite 11 Regional

ADDISON, Ill. — After watching Brownsburg, Indiana, quarterback Hunter Johnson compete at Saturday's Elite 11 Chicago regional, it's no surprise that his name was called to advance to the Elite 11 finals next month in Los Angeles. The 5-star prospect, who was consistent throughout the day, was the 16th overall quarterback selected for the finals, which will take place June 3-5.

It's also no secret that the Clemson faithful were beyond excited when Johnson, the nation's No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2017 class, switched his verbal commitment from Tennessee to the Tigers in December. Johnson has 23 reported offers and ultimately chose Clemson over Alabama, Notre Dame, Florida, Oklahoma and several other Power Five programs.

Johnson headlined a group of quarterbacks who put on a show at Addison Trail High School. On a day with chilly temperatures and swirling winds, Johnson seemed unfazed in each drill and not only left the facility with an Elite 11 finals invitation, but also the quarterback MVP award for the camp.

There were more than 70 quarterbacks in attendance Saturday, and here are some of those who caught the attention of those affiliated with the Elite 11 coaching staff. Elite 11 head coach Matt James offered comments on each quarterback.

MVP: 5-Star QB Hunter Johnson

Hometown (school): Brownsburg, Indiana (Brownsburg HS)

Size: 6'3", 200 lbs

247Sports composite rank: No. 26 overall (No. 2 PRO)

Commitment status: Committed to Clemson

In many ways, winning quarterback MVP on Saturday was Hunter Johnson's to lose. He entered the event as the favorite to come out as the top dog of the Chicago regional, and he delivered. Johnson completed pass after pass and built confidence with every drill.

Johnson, the top-ranked player from the state of Indiana, threw for 2,545 yards and 31 touchdowns as a junior. He has thrown for nearly 4,000 yards since his sophomore season and is looking to have a monster senior campaign in the fall.

Johnson switched his commitment from Tennessee to Clemson on Dec. 14, 2015, after originally committing to the Volunteers last August.

James' comments

"We'd heard a lot about him and had watched him on film. He went to [the Elite 11] Columbus [regional] last year, so he was already on everybody's radar. He had a good year last year, statistically, so the body of work spoke for himself. There's a lot of poise from him. He's smooth and a good decision-maker with the football. He may not wow you with a tremendously strong arm, but the ball is a nice spiral every time it comes out of his hand. He makes the right throw in every situation."

3-Star QB Rocky Lombardi

Hometown (school): West Des Moines, Iowa (Valley HS)

Size: 6'4", 220 lbs

247Sports composite rank: No. 601 overall (No. 15 DUAL)

Commitment status: Committed to Michigan State

After Saturday, Rocky Lombardi showed why Michigan State fans are excited about the future of Spartan football. Lombardi, blond locks and all, is a big, strong gunslinger who displayed solid pocket presence and overall toughness as a junior.

Lombardi showcased a strong arm and a lot of accuracy during the event, and he's somebody expected to have a big senior year and be a catalyst in Iowa before heading to East Lansing, Michigan. Per the Des Moines Register's Andy Hamilton, Lombardi threw for 2,258 yards and 25 touchdowns with only five interceptions and was an all-state selection as a junior.

Lombardi committed to Michigan State on April 3, choosing the Spartans over schools such as Nebraska and in-state schools Iowa and Iowa State. He was recruited by Michigan State quarterbacks coach Brad Salem, who is considered a family friend, Lombardi told Hamilton.

James' comments

"Rocky's got some toughness and some grit about him. He has a lot of those things you can't necessarily coach. You can tell with the way he bounces around and how physical he is. He's a pretty dang good wrestler as well. He just has qualities about him as a competitor that you don't see from others. He grew up as a coach's son, which helps him as well. He's got a good arm and can throw it. He had a couple of corner throws and post throws that were on a dime. You can see why Michigan State really wanted him."

3-Star QB Devon Moore

Hometown (school): Waterloo, Iowa (West HS)

Size: 6'4", 210 lbs

247Sports composite rank: No. 917 overall (No. 21 DUAL)

Commitment status: Committed to Iowa State

Physically speaking, Devon Moore was easy on the eyes to the Elite 11 coaches. He's a big, strong quarterback who also happens to be a southpaw. The interest in Moore continued to grow as he connected on multiple passes during competition.

Moore is rated as a 3-star dual-threat quarterback, but there were a few drills where he made 5-star decisions. Being from Iowa, Moore was a clutch get for Iowa State and new head coach Matt Campbell, who was hired on Nov. 29, 2015, and scored Moore's commitment the next day.

Per the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier's Jim Nelson, Moore threw for 1,423 yards in 6.5 games as a junior before his season ended with broken bones in his left leg. He has thrown for roughly 2,700 yards for his varsity career.

James' comments

"Devon's a big lefty can spin it; he can flat-out throw. You could tell he was there competing and having fun. I liked the charisma he had. He's really good and learning and picking things up. He's coming off a leg injury, so he's still not 100 percent, and we didn't have a ton of film of him to go off. You can tell he's got some upside with his size, the frame and the whip on that left arm. There's something about him that intrigues me."

Unrated QB Austin Burton

Hometown (school): Winter Garden, Florida (West Orange HS)

Size: 6'3", 190 lbs

247Sports composite rank: n/a

Commitment status: Uncommitted

After watching Austin Burton go through drills, it was hard to believe he only has offers from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Burton was consistent through most of the competition and impressed the Elite 11 coaches before and after the half-skelly showdown, which helped determine a camp MVP.

Burton lived in Massachusetts but recently moved to Winter Garden, Florida, and enrolled at West Orange High School, per the Boston Globe's Dan Shulman. As a junior at Newton South High School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, Burton threw for nearly 3,300 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Burton, who competed at the Elite 11 New Jersey regional, will compete for the starting quarterback position at West Orange that was vacated by Woody Barrett, who signed with Auburn in February.

James' comments

"We saw him in New Jersey, and he spins it nice. He's a very coachable kid, and I think he's somebody who definitely can throw for a bunch of yards and touchdowns in the right system. He was at our New Jersey event, and I like that he's improved. He went back and put in the work to improve. You could tell he took the coaching and went home to work on everything."

2018 QB Jason Whittaker

Hometown (school): Rockford, Michigan (Rockford HS)

Size: 6'5", 195 lbs

247Sports composite rank: n/a

Commitment status: Uncommitted

As the only 2018 quarterback selected to compete in the half-skelly showdown, Jason Whittaker refused to be intimidated. In fact, he set the tone early as the first participant of the showdown, earning high praise from the coaches after he finished throwing.

A big quarterback who may get bigger physically, Whittaker is one of those projects who will automatically pass the eye test with coaches but will impress other coaches with his mechanics. He led Rockford High School to the playoffs as a sophomore and is expected to be a name to watch in and around the state of Michigan.

Central Michigan was the first school to offer Whittaker in December. He also has early interest from Penn State and in-state schools Michigan and Michigan State.

James' comments

"We put the pup in first, and he did well. That 2018 class is loaded, and he's one of those guys. He was pretty impressive for most of the day, and he just improved as the day went on. I liked how he spun the ball. He completed a lot of throws and moved well for a big guy. He's just a good, solid kid who was pretty consistent all day long."

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