Quarterback superlatives from the Elite 11 Finals

Twenty of the 2023 cycle’s top signal callers were in Redondo Beach, California last week for the Elite 11 Finals. The three-day event wrapped up with 7-on-7 play on Friday afternoon.

On3 released our Overall Top Performers from the event on Friday afternoon, which considered the cumulative showing over the course of the three days at the Elite 11 Finals. The Elite 11 staff puts out their own ranking each day and named Julian Sayin as the MVP.

Now that Elite 11 Finals is behind us, it’s time to hand out some superlatives from the week.

Elite 11 Finals Roster | Overall Top Performers | Day 1 Top Performers | Day 2 Top Performers 

Most Accurate – Julian Sayin (Alabama)

Julian Sayin was automatic at the Elite 11 Finals. His advanced timing and technical skills were on display all week. The Alabama commit was on target more than any other quarterback in attendance over the three days. In all, we saw the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder have very few errant passes. Sayin showed superior ability to locate his passes, hitting receivers in stride. In drill work on Day 1, Sayin repeatedly threw to the same spot over and over, while many of the others were unable to do so. Sayin followed a strong Day 1 with a sterling Pro Day performance, showing excellent rhythm and connectivity between his footwork and upper body. We entered with the thinking this setting would play to Sayin’s strengths as a prospect and were proven correct in that assertion.

Best Deep Ball – Dylan Raiola (Georgia)

Dylan Raiola made a strong push for the On3 MVP with two impressive performances on Day 2 and 3. On both days we got to see Raiola uncork a handful of beautiful deep balls with little to no strain. Raiola has easy arm strength with the ability to effortlessly push the ball downfield with accuracy and touch. The Georgia pledge was stellar in his pro day session, looking to be operating with a high comfort level in the structured environment. He backed that up with arguably the best 7-on-7 session of the group, completing 13 of 16 passes for 4 touchdowns, including a few pretty deep balls. “Strongest arm” is a nebulous term that requires context. Others in attendance were better at driving the ball on a line, but Raiola got the ball vertically the easiest of all 20 finalists, in our opinion.

Best Mechanics – Ethan Grunkemeyer (Penn State)

Ethan Grunkemeyer was the most pleasant surprise of the Elite 11 Finalists. The Penn State pledge was extremely smooth and natural as a passer. The ball jumps out of his hand. Grunkemeyer drove the ball over the middle of the field as well as anyone. He pairs the smooth release and upper body flexibility a with weight transfer and lower body mechanics. Everything looked loose and natural. Grunkemeyer was the On3 MVP on Day 1, as he looked effortless in going through drill work.

Most Upside – Luke Kromenhoek (Florida State)

Tabbing Luke Kromenhoek as the highest upside prospect at the event may seem bold, but when you lay out his case, it’s easy to see why he is such an intriguing prospect. Kromenhoek was one of the bigger quarterbacks on hand, checking in around 6-foot-3.5, 190 pounds, with plenty of room to continue filling out. He easily had one of strongest arms in attendance. The Florida State pledge drove the ball as well as any Elite 11 Finalist. He made some of the best passes we saw on Day 3, throwing ropes to the boundary and down the seam from 30 yards out. Kromenhoek pairs the size and arm strength with well above average movement skills – an area that further differentiates him from some other highly-touted peers. As a one-year varsity starter, he is inexperienced relative to the rest of the group. Kromenhoek will benefit from developing via in-game situations as a senior, but there is no question the tangible attributes and overall physical package stood out at the Elite 11 Finals.

Steady Hand – Air Noland (Ohio State)

Air Noland entered the Elite 11 Finals as the most well-known commodity relative to his play on Friday nights. The Ohio State pledge is unquestionably the most productive and proven high school player of the bunch. Noland was in the top group on each day, consistently turning in good performances. The lefty is one of the more accurate passers of the group and throws with good timing and feel. He also showed some ability to handle adversity, effectively rebounding from a tough start in 7-on-7 to finish strong.

Biggest Gunslinger – Ryan Puglisi (Georgia)

Ryan Puglisi delivered fastballs all week at the Elite 11 Finals. The Georgia pledge had no hesitation in letting it rip. Puglisi showed a live, loose arm in drill work on Day 1 and was a standout in throwing from off-platform. He had a bunch of juice on his throws and plays with a kinetic verve. While some throws got away from him, but Puglisi kept firing and turned in a good week overall, landing in On3’s Top Performers. The structured setting may not fully play to his strengths, but the Avon (Conn.) Avon Old Farms product didn’t have too tough of a time adjusting.

Best Athlete – Hauss Hejny (TCU)

Everything about Hauss Hejny is twitchy. At around 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Hejny is a top athlete – he consistently runs sub 11.0 seconds in the 100 meters and touches in the 4.4’s in the 40-yard dash. The TCU legacy’s athleticism transfers over to his ability as a passer. Hejny puts his entire body into his throws. He uses an extreme level of torque to generate very good – and honestly surprising – velocity on his throws. Truthfully, Hejny had some of the best zip on intermediate passes of any Elite 11 Finalist. His performance as a passer in a setting that doesn’t allow for use of his elite rushing ability has to be taken as a huge positive.

Smoothest Release – Colin Hurley (LSU)

Few Elite 11 finalists spun the ball as well as Colin Hurley. The ball almost always comes out of Hurley’s hand cleanly. At around 6-foot-0.5, 220 pounds, Hurley has a compact, powerful build. He uses the developed base and lower body along with his fluid throwing motion to generate easy RPM’s on his throws. Originally a 2025 prospect who reclassified to the 2024 cycle, Hurley will need to continue improving his movement skills and developing as a player on Friday nights, but the pure passing ability was on display in Redondo Beach.

Most Polished – CJ Carr (Notre Dame)

CJ Carr was at home in structured settings that allowed for his advanced technical polish to shine through. The Notre Dame commit is refined mechanically with a smooth, fluid release and good footwork. He is at his best when everything is on time and in a defined rhythm. When clean, Carr was among the more steady and accurate passers on hand. His play dipped a bit when he’s moved off of his spot or when defenders are added to the mix. With that said, he looked very comfortable in drill work and on the pro day.

Best Scheme Fit – Will Hammond (Texas Tech)

Will Hammond looks to be an ideal fit in Texas Tech’s Air Raid scheme under offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. The Hutto (Texas ) High product showed very good feel and timing as a passer. He was at his best in targeting the short and intermediate areas of the field. After watching Hammond pick apart the defense on short, timing routes in 7-on-7, it’s not hard to see him doing the same in the Red Raiders offense while playing in the Big 12. In addition to the accurate passing skills. also brings good athleticism and rushing ability to the table.

College-Ready Build – DJ Lagway (Florida)

At 6-foot-2.5, 230 pounds, DJ Lagway was the most physically developed Elite 11 Finalist on hand. He could put pads on right now and be able to take contact on a college football field. Lagway flashed his tantalizing physical ability throughout the week. He had one of the strongest arms in attendance, as expected. Lagway had some highlight throws. His best was as good as anyone at the event. With that said, the consistency and accuracy tended to fluctuate at times.

Most Velocity – Trever Jackson (Uncommitted)

When it comes to pure velocity, Trever Jackson was the clear standout of the group. The uncommitted prospect has a big-time arm. Jackson absolutely ripped some throws over the course of the event. When he really uncorked throws, it looked like smoke was coming off the football. The data backed up the eye test, as Jackson registered the highest score on the Elite 11’s BreakAway Ball Score test – by a fair margin. A one-year varsity starter who is young for the class, Jackson has intriguing upside and ability but will need to continue developing as a player.

Gamer – Jadyn Davis (Michigan)

Jadyn Davis had his best moments during 7-on-7 play on Day 3. The Michigan pledge was up and down on Day 1 and Day 2, but rebounded to complete 11 of 15 passes for four touchdowns on Friday. There were times early on where it appeared Davis was pressing or thinking too much. He looked to play much better on Friday when he just let things flow and didn’t hesitate in pushing the ball downfield. Davis has a pronounced throwing motion that led to some inconsistencies. He was at his best in throwing the ball over the middle and showed a good arm in that situation. The Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day product also made a few very nice corner passes for touchdowns, showing nice ball placement and touch.