The Elite 11 finals wrapped up on Sunday in Redondo Beach, Calif., and here's a look at how we ranked the top 11 performers from the event, factoring in camp showing and long-term projection.
South Florida commit Asiantii Woulard was the consensus top performer of the Elite 11 finals, which wrapped Sunday in Redondo Beach, Calif.
1- Asiantii Woulard, Winter Park (Fla.), committed to South Florida
Not only was Woulard the top riser of the event, but the USF commit is also 247Sports’ top performer. After missing much of the first day with a groin injury, the central Florida prospect did nothing but impress, capturing MVP honors from the coaches and being rated the top performer by virtually all of the outlets that cover college football recruiting. Woulard flashed considerable tools throughout the event, showcasing one of the stronger arms in attendance and the ability to hit any area of the field on top of quick decision-making. We especially liked Woulard’s propensity and ability to stretch the field with vertical throws. The four-star prospect is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential and gets increasingly better each time we see him perform, but make no mistake- he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the nation right now and has the ceiling to ultimately be a first-round draft pick with the right development. He’s still so raw having limited quarterbacking experience in high school.
2- Max Browne, Sammamish (Wash.) Skyline, committed to USC
Consistency is Browne’s trademark and that continued to be the case at the Elite 11. The five-star prospect has a mature air about him and carries himself as he's much older than a rising senior in high school. Browne delivered some of the event's better passes in 7-on-7 work and may have proved to be the best at throwing receivers open. He also displayed smooth, efficient drops in addition to high level pocket presence in drills. Browne is the nation’s top overall quarterback prospect for several reasons and all of those were on display throughout the event.
3- Christian Hackenberg Fork Union (Va.) Fork Union Military, committed to Penn State
Hackenberg may have the highest upside of any quarterback in the nation and continued to showcase those tools in Redondo Beach. The Penn State commit is tall, athletic, and has a live arm to go with the smoothest throwing motion of any signal caller in the nation. Consistency or lack thereof has been Hackenberg's biggest bugaboo to this point, but he appeared to be increasingly comfortable in live action as the Elite11 wore on. Hackenberg will likely move to a five-star rating from 247Sports in the near future and is currently weighing his commitment to the Nittany Lions following the announcement of NCAA sanctions on the program.
4- Shane Morris, Warren (Mich.) De La Salle, committed to Michigan
The Michigan commit’s big arm was on display at the event and he was the only participant who at times could at times approach the college counselors in terms of driving the ball down the field. As is the case with many prospects, Morris still needs to improve on decision-making, touch, and accuracy but his upside is substantial. Morris made a few throws that no other participant could have replicated throughout the week and as long as he develops in college, he should have a special career for the Maize and Blue.
Ohio State commit JT Barrett was smooth and quick all week at the Elite 11 finals. He is rated as the nation's top dual-threat quarterback by 247Sports.
5- Kevin Olsen, Wayne (N.J.) Wayne Hills, committed to Miami
Olsen is noticeably bigger physically than when we’ve seen him in the past and that growth should only help him continue to progress as a player. The Miami commit was the second most consistent performer after Browne and usually got rid of the ball in a timely fashion to go with being accurate. We also liked Olsen’s fiery demeanor and feel he’s an ideal fit for the Canes in that regard as well as being a heady, talented distributor of the football to the consistently fast skill talent Miami signs. Olsen has the chance to be the best quarterback at the U since Ken Dorsey, who won a National Championship in 2001.
6- JT Barrett, Wichita Falls (Texas) Rider, committed to Ohio State
The Elite11 isn't geared towards showcasing the dual threat’s game as much as others on this list, but the Buckeye pledge was solid, showing a quick delivery and the ability to deliver the ball in a timely fashion. He also drops back quickly and fires the ball, something that really is pivitol to grasp in college. Barrett is much further along as a passer than current Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller at the same point in their careers, which should bode well for the future provided Miller shines in new head coach Urban Meyer’s offense as is expected.
7- Brice Ramsey, Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County, committed to Georgia
Ramsey improved as much as any participant over the course of the event. The top 100 prospect has a bigger adjustment than most coming from a Wing-T offense at high school and his ability to throw on air has never been questioned. If the Elite11 is any indication, it appears Ramsey is becoming increasingly comfortable in live action and that should only continue as he develops at UGA during his college career.
8- Troy Williams, Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne, committed to Washington
Williams seemed at ease for the majority of the week, operating less than 30 minutes from his home. The four-star prospect is a natural passer who is at his best when operating out of the shotgun in a spread attack. Williams’ height has been a question in the past, but he has grown a good bit over the years (he’s closer to 6-3 than 6-0) and wasn’t close to being the shortest quarterback in attendance. We think the Huskies have a potentially special quarterback here considering the combination of tools and system.
9- Joshua Dobbs, Alpharetta (Ga.) committed to Arizona State Dobbs had some of the top passes in the 7-on-7 portion particularly on post, seam, and Bang Eight routes down the middle of the field with a few ‘wow’ moments. The Atlanta area signal caller was among the event’s top risers displaying quick decision making along with improved arm strength and velocity. We expect him to be in the 2013 Top247 next time we update.
10- Cooper Bateman, Salt Lake City (Utah) Cottonwood, committed to Alabama Bateman is a bit rare in that he’s better in live action than when throwing on air. The Salt Lake City passer is a bit of a gamer in that regard and is one that is more comfortable going through progressions within the scope of an offense. Bateman also impressed with his mobility and ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the event in 4.58 seconds.
11- Anthony Jennings, Marietta (Ga.), committed to LSU Jennings spun the ball as well as any participant and had one great day of work followed by a few other solid, but not spectacular outings. We feel that he showed during those workouts, though, that what you saw on film last season was legitimate. He’s a smooth, accurate passer that is still just scratching the surface of his potential. Though he was the second quarterback taken in LSU’s 2013 class, we don’t feel like he’s necessarily the No. 2 quarterback in terms of projection behind Hayden Rettig. Expect Jennings to move to a four-star rating according to 247Sports in the near future.
