Elite 11 Finals: Day 1 Top Performers

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. – Twenty of the 2023 cycle’s top signal callers are in Southern California this week for the Elite 11 Finals, which kicked off on Tuesday night. As has been the case in past years, the first day of the three day event featured drill work, with the quarterbacks separated into four groups and working through different stations.

The setting allows for a direct side-by-side comparison of the majority of the cycle’s top passers. We’re able to get a sense for some of the physical tools, passing ability and level of development of the participants. This order is based solely on the performances from Tuesday night. We place an emphasis on the ability to make high-level throws and consistency on a pass to pass basis along with the overall physical skill set in this setting.

Also note that two of the the cycle’s five-star quarterbacks, new Texas commit Arch Manning and Tennessee pledge Nico Iamaleava, are not in attendance. Iamaleava is missing the Finals due to an international volleyball tournament. Manning did not participate in any regional camps. They rank as two of the nation’s top five prospects.

Complete Elite 11 Finals Roster | Day 1 Live Updates | Elite 11 Finals Recruiting Intel

On3 MVP: JJ Kohl – Iowa State

JJ Kohl made the most high-level throws we saw on Tuesday while also flashing one of, if not the strongest arm in attendance. The number of translatable, downfield throws we saw from Kohl, earns him the slight the nod over Jackson Arnold as the On3 MVP. The Iowa State commit is biggest quarterback in attendance, checking in at around 6-foot-6, 230 pounds. He showed the ability to generate considerable velocity on the football, driving the ball vertically with ease. Kohl was a standout at a station that featured downfield shots down the seam, while working from under center. He also had arguably the two best throws we saw in the hole shot challenge, including a beautiful pass to On3 Consensus five-star tight end Duce Robinson.

Kohl’s showing wasn’t just about his arm strength. He has a compact release for a longer-limbed quarterback and was able to layer his throws with location and touch. The mechanical consistency made for a very steady performance in addition to the highlight moments.

2. Jackson Arnold – Oklahoma

Jackson Arnold‘s quick release and zip on the football was certainly among the best we saw on Tuesday evening. The ball jumps out of the Oklahoma commit’s hand. Arnold was a standout at a station that required the quarterbacks to roll out of the pocket and throw out-breaking routes across their body on the goal line. He also excelled in driving the ball to the boundary on high-difficulty throws.

The Denton (Texas) Guyer standout has a strong base that he uses to generate force on his passes. His power and quick throwing motion allow for a second life on some of his passes, with the ball continuing to pick up speed as it approaches the receiver.

3. Austin Novosad – Baylor

Austin Novosad enters the Elite 11 Finals as one of the hottest quarterback prospects nationally, earning summer offers from Ohio State, Texas A&M and Stanford despite his commitment to Baylor. To put it plainly, Novosad looked worthy of the attention on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder may be the most mechanically clean quarterback at the Elite 11 Finals. He’s a pure passer, consistently throwing a beautiful ball with outstanding touch and location on Tuesday. Like Kohl and Arnold, Novosad was highly consistent and was in the mix for On3 MVP honors. He may not have quite the velocity of the other two, but we were pleasantly surprised by the arm strength.

The Dripping Springs (Texas) High signal caller made his way out west after a few days at Texas’ State 7-on-7 tournament and showed no signs of fatigue. While this setting aligns well with his on-field skill set as a polished pocket passer, we still came away very impressed by Novosad’s showing on Tuesday.  Ohio State, Texas A&M and Georgia are among those in pursuit of Novosad, who is evaluating his options (On3+).

4. Christopher Vizzina – Clemson

Christopher Vizzina showed why he’s considered as one of the more well-rounded quarterbacks in the cycle. The Clemson commit was steady throughout Tuesday’s workout and continued to improve as the night went on. Vizzina separated himself among the pack with a number of impressive seam throws and deep balls, turning in one of the best sessions we saw from that station. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Vizzina has one of the more projectable builds in attendance, along with quick feet when working from drops under center or rolling outside the pocket.

5. Dante Moore

We expected Dante Moore to fare well in this structured, passing setting. The Detroit Martin Luther King passer lived up to the expectations, delivering a strong showing on Tuesday night. Moore has one of the quicker and more natural releases in the 2023 cycle. He gets the ball out quickly and is able to consistently deliver with accuracy and touch. Moore is strong mechanically. He’s relaxed and smooth, not laboring within his throwing motion. The top 50 prospect’s spot at No. 5 on this list is more a reflection of the highlight moments and consistency we saw from the other four. There’s no question Moore was among the top group on Tuesday. We also saw him approach the workout with some energy and verve. It was obvious he was having fun.

Oregon, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Michigan are in the mix for Moore, with the Ducks having the edge in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

6. Marcus Stokes – Penn State

Day one of the Elite 11 Finals tends to favor prospects with quick releases. Some of the drills and stations can amplify how quickly the ball comes out of each quarterback’s hand. The setting lined up well for Marcus Stokes, who showed one of the quickest releases on hand on Tuesday. The Penn State pledge was very impressive in throwing across his body on the goal line. Stokes consistently delivered well-thrown, on target passes from off-platform. He has a dexterous arm and showed the ability to throw from different arm slots. Stokes was able to quickly generate force with his hip torque to whip quick passes despite his feet not being set.

7. Avery Johnson

Avery Johnson is one of the top athletes as the position nationally, but showed he stacks up with the best of the best as a passer on Tuesday night. The showing on day one is a continuation of the passing improvement we’ve seen from the Maize (Kan.) High standout this off-season. Johnson generated nice velocity on his passes and made some high-level throws while driving the ball down the seam and out to the boundary. There are some areas that he can continue to improve, but the progress he showed on Tuesday was very encouraging. Johnson has taken visits to Kansas State, Oregon and Washington with the Wildcats leading according to his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

8. Malachi Nelson – USC

Malachi Nelson is among the crisper throwers in attendance. He’s mechanically sound and has a quick release. The Five-Star Plus+ USC commit stood out on short to intermediate throws where he could get the ball out quickly due to his release. Nelson showed zip on the aforementioned short and intermediate passes but had a few lapses with accuracy and distance on some of the more vertical throws. Nelson threw alongside JJ Kohl and Christopher Vizzina in what was arguably the best group of the day.

9. Eli Holstein – Alabama

Eli Holstein is among the more physically-developed Elite 11 Finalists, checking in at around 6-foot-3.5, 225 pounds along with some of the best verified athleticism in the cycle. The Alabama pledge put his tools on display on Tuesday night. Holstein let it rip, putting everything into his throws. His best moments came on some deep out-breaking routes, where he was able to drive the ball out to the boundary. Holstein approached the day with some energy and competitiveness. He may not have the quickest release or best mechanics of the bunch, but was communicating with coaches throughout the day while working to improve.

10. Emory Williams – Miami

Miami has two commits on hand in Jaden Rashada and Emory Williams. The latter turned in the stronger session on Tuesday, showing a good mechanical foundation and consistency on a throw to throw basis. Williams was among the better passers in his group, particularly at the out-of-pocket goal line station. He showed the ability to throw with touch and located some nice throws that would’ve fit into tight windows.

11. Chris Parson – Florida State

Chris Parson gets the nod for the 11th spot after coming away as the winner of the annual hole shot challenge. The competition typically takes place at the end of day one each year. Each quarterback takes a turn throwing a backside vertical route that simulates a zone beater concept. The Elite 11 coaches rule if each throw would fit into a window against a defense. Parson came away with the title in the knockout-style competition after making three straight throws that were deemed ideally accurate by the Elite 11 staffers.

Additional notes on Elite 11 Finalists

+ Oklahoma State commit Zane Flores and Pitt pledge Kenny Minchey were two more in contention for the 11th spot. Flores may not be as polished as some of the others in attendance but had some positive moments. Minchey also spun the ball well at times.

+ Cincinnati commit Brady Drogosh is perhaps the least seasoned finalist in this type of camp setting. With that said, we came away liking what we saw from the Bearcat pledge. Drogosh has some of the best pure physical tools on hand and is arguably the top rushing quarterback in the 2023 cycle. Drogosh has a strong arm and made some impressive passes on Tuesday but is in more of a developmental stage than some of the other finalists.

+ Louisville commit Pierce Clarkson‘s best moments we saw came during the hole shot challenge, where he delivered a few expertly placed throws. Clarkson is well-coached and comfortable in this setting.

+ New Miami commit Jaden Rashada showed off his arm strength, which is certainly among the best in the cycle. The NorCal native had some strong throws on the day, but also struggled at times with consistency and accuracy. Purdue commit Rickie Collins was up and down on the day. Arkansas commit Malachi Singleton is not ideally suited for this passing setting as he’s more of a rush threat at the high school level. Brock Glenn had a tough time consistently spinning the football on Tuesday. Tulane commit Jaxon Smolik was a late replacement for Nico Iamaleava and held his own among the talented group.

Counselors and a 5-star target

+ The four college counselors at this year’s Elite 11 Finals are CJ Stroud (Ohio State), Caleb Williams (USC), Devin Leary (NC State) and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA). The group will throw each day. Stroud and Williams showed off their touted skill sets with Leary also having some strong moments on Tuesday.

+ On3 Consensus five-star tight end Duce Robinson was on hand catching passes from the quarterbacks. Robinson impressed with his play speed and stamina. It seemed like he ran hundreds of routes, despite coming off of a baseball tournament. He was one of the best skill players at the 2021 Opening Finals as a rising junior and looks more explosive and a bit leaner one year later. He has wide receiver movement skills with a tight end’s frame. Robinson was sporting USC gloves on Tuesday night. The Trojans lead in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.