Quarterback superlatives from the Elite 11 Finals

Twenty of the 2025 cycle’s top signal callers were in Manhattan Beach, California this week for the Elite 11 Finals. The three-day event wrapped up with 7-on-7 play on Thursday afternoon. 

On3 release our Overall Top Performers from the event on Thursday 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, which considers the camp showing combined with junior film and named Keelon Russell as their MVP.

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

Overall Top Performers | Day 1 Top Performers | Day 2 Top Performers 

Strongest Arm – Husan Longstreet (Texas A&M)

Husan Longstreet clearly touted strongest arm in attendance at the Elite 11 Finals. The ball blasts out of the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder’s hand at a different speed than his peers. Longstreet’s ability to create torque through his core along with his 10.5-inch hands allow him to generate extreme levels of velocity on his throws. The Texas A&M commit effortlessly drove the football to all levels of the field over the course of the Elite 11 Finals. Though he showed improved accuracy and ability to layer his throws, no prospect in the cycle is better at delivering fastballs. 

Most Upside – Deuce Knight (Notre Dame)

Deuce Knight’s combination of size, athleticism and arm talent gives him the highest upside of Elite 11 Finalists and one of the highest ceilings in the 2025 cycle. At 6-foot-4.5, 208 pounds, Knight is arguably the most athletic quarterback in the cycle. He’s shown marked improvements in his consistency as a passer after beginning to work with a private quarterback coach in the past few months. Knight is throwing with more accuracy and confidence, allowing him to further unlock his high-end arm strength. He’s stacked two On3 MVP honors at back-to-back national events – Overtime’s OT7 Finals and the Elite 11 Finals. Up next, we’re looking to see if he can continue to carry the positive momentum into his senior season. Given what we’ve seen this past month, Knight is showing signs of beginning to tap into his immense upside.

Most Accurate – Julian Lewis (USC)

Julian Lewis lived up to his reputation as a highly accurate pocket passer at the Elite 11 Finals. The USC pledge was the most accurate passer on hand over the course of the week, particularly on the final two days. Lewis was on target during his pro day session and finished second to Tavien St. Clair in the accuracy challenge. He carried that over into day three, where he was able to deliver with touch and location during his 7-on-7 session. The 6-foot, 186-pounder’s high level of developmental polish allows him to play with advanced accuracy, adding to his skill set as a cerebral distributor. 

Most Consistent – Keelon Russell (Alabama)

Keelon Russell was the steady hand at the Elite 11 Finals. The Alabama pledge consistently threw with good velocity and solid accuracy over the course of the three days. He was particularly effective at attacking the intermediate area of the field. We saw this during his 7-on-7 session – which was among the best of the group. Russell picked apart the opposing defense, throwing on target on 19 of 25 passes for five touchdowns. While others made more eye-popping throws, Russell won with his decision-making and ability to take what was open while delivering with good zip and location. Outside of comfortably and timing in working from under center, there weren’t many discernible holes in the Duncanville (Texas) High standout’s game over the course of the week. 

College-Ready Build – Tavien St. Clair (Ohio State)

Tavien St. Clair would not look out of place on a college football field right now. At a well-built 6-foot-4, 225-pounds, he was the biggest and most physically developed of the Elite 11 Finalists. The Ohio State commit has undergone a physical transformation over the past two years and has filled out his frame to the point where he’s likely close to his long-term playing size. St. Clair has shown improvement not just in the weight room or at the training table – he’s continued to hone his game and was one of the smoothest and most accurate passers at the Elite 11 Finals. 

Gunslinger – Matt Zollers (Missouri)

When it came to the 7-on-7 portion of the Elite 11 Finals, no prospect let it rip more than Matt Zollers. The 6-foot-3.5, 203-pounder repeatedly pushed the ball downfield, finishing with a session-high six touchdowns along with two interceptions. He wasn’t shy about potentially placing his throws into small windows and ended up fitting the football in, more times than not. While Zollers can continue improving his consistency, we saw glimpses of the playmaking instinct that makes him one of the more dynamic signal callers in the cycle on Friday nights. 

Smoothest Release – Tramell Jones (Florida State)

Tramell Jones showed off a silky smooth throwing motion and release at the Elite 11 Finals. The 6-foot, 195-pounder has a clean stroke with no moving parts. Jones’ tight throwing motion allows for him to throw with consistently deliver catchable footballs and throw with accuracy. The Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin is a pure pocket passer who is at his best when he can sit back and distribute the ball to surrounding playmakers. 

Best Footwork – K.J. Lacey (Texas)

K.J. Lacey showed some of the quickest and coordinated feet at the Elite 11 Finals. The Texas commit was able to get good depth on his drops in addition to moving well in scenarios that asked for the quarterbacks to get outside of the pocket. While not an overwhelming rush threat, Lacey backs up the movement skills we saw at the Elite 11 Finals on Friday nights as an improvisational player behind the line of scrimmage. 

Best Mechanics – Luke Nickel (Miami)

Luke Nickel displayed sound mechanics from the ground up at the Elite 11 Finals. The Miami pledge has a traditional high release point and did an excellent job getting the ball up and out throughout the week. He was also very natural and smooth in his drops, showing good coordination and functional mobility when operating from within structure. We rarely saw Nickel out of sorts at the Elite 11 Finals, in large part due to his rock solid mechanical foundation. 

Gamer – KaMario Taylor (Mississippi State)

Several of the Elite 11 Finalists elevated their play once things went live in the 7-on-7 portion on Day 3. Mississippi State commit KaMario Taylor had some ups and downs over the first two days, but really broke through on Thursday, making some outstanding throws in 7-on-7 en route to tossing four touchdowns. Taylor was not always comfortable in the highly structured drill work or pro day setup, but was able to show off his considerable talent when he was able to not think and just play in a more free-flowing setting.