Elite 11 Finals 2023: Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels shine among college QBs in Los Angeles

The Elite 11 Finals are underway this week as many of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks have gathered in Redondo Beach, California, to showcase their talents and learn a thing or two from some current college stars, including reigning Heisman Trophy winner and USC starter Caleb Williams. While the event is centered around the high school stars and their budding careers, On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings, Charles Power, had plenty to report from the guys already in school.

Williams was joined at Elite 11 by several other big-name college QBs returning for the 2023 season, including Jayden Daniels (LSU), Michael Penix (Washington) and Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland). According to Power, Williams takes the cake as the top performer thus far among all passers at Elite 11, which shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who watched football last fall.

Caleb Williams the top dog at Elite 11

“Overall, Caleb Williams, I think, is head and shoulders the most impressive that we’ve seen of this group — unsurprisingly for the Heisman winner,” said Power. “But he was very good and really just at a different level from everyone else, high school and college counselors, on day one on Wednesday, which was primarily station drill work.”

Given his stature as the most accomplished and most talented QB at the event, Williams set the bar for the week in drills and live action on Wednesday night.

“He was kind of the example for the rail shot challenge at the end of day one, where it’s a high-difficulty throw down the left sideline that requires the arm strength and touch,” Power continued about Williams. “And he was the example that the Elite 11 counselors used in every round of that competition, which is a knockout-style competition.

“So, Caleb Williams looked like you’d expect in this setting. Really, you know, I think the arm talent and overall athletic horsepower, just looks like a guy who it’s no surprise that he’s being talked about as the No. 1 pick and maybe one of the best NFL Draft prospects in several years at quarterback.”

Jayden Daniels impresses

Following the USC superstar, Power reports that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was fairly impressive this week as well.

“I thought Jayden Daniels, after Williams, has probably shown the most pure physical talent of that group. Good arm, good athlete, it looks like he’s put on weight,” Power said of Daniels. “The last time I saw him he was a high school senior and he’s put on weight to the thin frame. But yeah, pretty solid overall.”

With that physical talent plus a strong showing this week, Charles Power still thinks there’s a higher ceiling for the Tiger signal caller to reach this coming fall.

“I think he can continue to just benefit from the coaching he’s gonna get at LSU and continue to add some refinement,” Power continued. “But he’s a playmaker and I think there’s some arm talent that can continue to be developed there. So I thought he has looked pretty solid.”

Michael Penix and Taulia Tagovailoa are ‘up and down’

Power then moved on to the other two QBs — Penix and Tagovailoa — who he says both battled inconsistency through the first two days of camp.

“You know, I thought Michael Penix was up and down,” Power said of the Huskies star. “Day One, probably had some struggles and did not look really comfortable in that setting. But he probably was the best of the three in the pro day script on Day Two. Just good timing, accuracy. The arm does not really blow you away but he was just pretty refined and accurate in that setting.”

As for Tagovailoa, he was better when he got to use his feet a little bit.

“Taulia Tagovailoa was up and down. I mean, if we’re being honest, had some struggles during the pro day session and just didn’t look totally comfortable there,” Power said. “I mean, he’s a guy who I think is at his best in a live game situation where he can use his playmaking ability to create and make defenders miss and improvise. So, in this setting, where it’s kind of strips down to your level of technical polish and pure physical talent, he would be fourth in that group.”

For more details and updates from Day 2 of the Elite 11 Finals, check out On3’s live blog from Thursday evening.