Louisville QB commit Briggs Cherry ready to prove himself at Elite 11 Finals

The Elite 11 Finals take center stage in Los Angeles this week, with 20 of the nation’s top quarterbacks competing in the annual event. Louisville three-star quarterback commit Briggs Cherry is excited to prove he is a top 20 quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class.

Cherry picked up his golden ticket to the Elite 11 Finals following a standout performance at the Ohio Regional in April.

“It’s just a blessing knowing that I’m one of the 20 guys that got invited, and it just gives me a chance to go out and show everybody that I can compete with the best,” Cherry told On3. “I want to prove I’m a top-20 quarterback in the country and that I can play at the highest level.

The Knoxville (Tenn.) Baylor School three-star recruit committed to Louisville in January, picking the Cardinals over Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Pittsburgh among others. As a junior for Baylor, Cherry threw for 2,718 yards and 31 touchdowns to just three interceptions. In the last month, Cherry has been in contact with Ohio State, he told On3.

“There have been a few schools in contact,” the quarterback said. “Right now, just because they’ve been in contact with me every day, I’m pretty locked in with Louisville. I was in contact with Ohio State for a couple of weeks — they’re the national champions. You never know there. I was in good contact with coach [Billy] Fessler for a minute.”

Despite the contact with Ohio State, Cherry is still working to help Louisville build out the rest of the 2026 recruiting class. Cherry is one of 15 commits in the fold for head coach Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals this cycle. Louisville’s class ranks No. 36 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

“My right tackle, Charlie Edgeworth, that’s a big one,” Cherry said of who he is recruiting to Louisville. “A DB at my school is also going to be a top prospect, Jamyan Theodore. Our top guy right now is [tight end] Julius Miles. Right now, on some things, Louisville is ranked as the No. 11 recruiting class. It’s crazy, and that has never happened before. Just trying to get them into the top five.”

Cherry is the No. 469 overall prospect and No. 26 QB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 10 player in Tennessee.

While Cherry continues to help Louisville build its class, he’s keeping his options open. His official visit with the Cardinals is scheduled for later this month, and he expects to have a better grasp of his NIL deal following the trip.

“I get to talk NIL when I get to my official visit on June 20th,” Chery said. “So I will get a good grasp of it there. I really don’t know [my value] yet, just because I haven’t talked to that many people about NIL. But I know it’s coming, and my worth right now is rising, especially with all the Elite 11 stuff. I’ll probably just start with a one-year deal and work up.”

The 2025 Elite 11 Finals will bring together top performers to receive advanced one-on-one quarterback instruction in a highly competitive setting. A three-day event, the finals will include on-field drills, competition, classroom instruction and off-field development. 

The 2025 Elite 11, and 2025 Elite 11 MVP, will be named at the conclusion of the Elite 11 Finals.