Nebraska 4-star QB commit TJ Lateef wants to leave Elite 11 Finals a better player

HAWTHORNE, Calif. – He just wants to soak it all in. TJ Lateef is home this week in southern California competing in the Elite 11 Finals. The four-star Nebraska commit is from right down the road at Orange Lutheran and he came out to this event with one thing in mind.

“I just want to get better,” Lateef told On3. “It is a blessing to be out here working with great quarterback coaches from all over the world and I want to better my craft each day. For me, it is not about how I do day one or day two, but if I get better. I want to pick up nuggets from these coaches, learn new things and go back to my school better.”

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Lateef has competed in multiple Elite 11 Regionals the last couple of years. He learned about the event when he started high school. His favorite quarterbacks growing up were Bryce Young and CJ Stroud, both are from California and both competed in the Elite 11 Finals.

The No. 277 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking is excited to be part of this group.

“It is just a blessing to be here. It is a good chance to compete against good quarterbacks, have fun and just be around good energy. Every quarterback out here is good, each quarterback can spin in and I get to work with them and compete against them this week.

“I want to do what I can to separate myself as a player, a leader and a teammate around all these talented guys.”

Lateef is locked in with Nebraska

After taking his official visit in May, Lateef committed to Nebraska. He explored his options, but the best one for him was in Lincoln. He couldn’t be more excited about his decision.

“Committing to Nebraska is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life,” Lateef said. “Since I committed, my relationships have only gotten stronger. The staff cares about me. They are tapped into everything I do. They have love for me, I feel the same about them and I am so excited about getting to Nebraska.”

His next trip to Lincoln might be in the fall for the Colorado game on Sept. 7. Lateef was at Nebraska for their spring game, but he can’t wait to see his first real game inside Memorial Stadium.

“The spring game was crazy, so I know what it will be like for the Colorado game. It is a big game early in the season and it is a rivalry game. The Nebraska fans are the best and it will be packed and loud.

“I can’t wait to get back and see the team, the crowd and I am excited about it all because coach Matt Rule has the program on the rise. Now I get to go be a part of it.”