For our continuing coverage of the Elite 11 Finals, we will update a leaderboard each day of the competition. As information from this event can be hard to find, we’re going to compile some of the best opinions from observers at the Finals and issue a composite leaderboard based on multiple inputs.
The five outlets and writers that have been covering this event and will be included in this report are SI.com, 247sports.com, Charles Power (@CharlesPower), Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) of lettermanrow.com, and Gerry Hamilton (@HamiltonESPN) of ESPN.com. Check out those sources for ongoing coverage with eyes on the field.
While some sites have issued a full ranked list, others are highlighting top performers, so for this exercise, I will include players who made the top five for each source on day one. My goal is to make this a clean, one-stop-shop to follow this awesome event. For a full breakdown of all contestants, see our Elite 11 primer released earlier this week.
Top Performers Day 1
- Drew Allar – Penn St. (4 appearances in a top five)
- Nick Evers – Florida (4)
- Quinn Ewers – Ohio St. (3)
- Cade Klubnik – Clemson (3)
- Devin Brown – USC (3)
- Walker Howard – LSU (2)
- Maalik Murphy – Texas (2)
- Ty Simpson – Alabama (1)
- Conner Weigman – Texas A&M (1)
- Holden Geriner – Auburn (1)
- Gavin Wimsatt – Rutgers (1)
Extra Notes
The top two standouts on Day 1 were Evers and Allar, and both ranked outside the top 10 on 247sports.com composite. Our crew at campus2canton was certainly excited about both of these quarterbacks, with Austin (@devydeets) and Matt (@sportsfanaticMB) gushing about them over the past few days. While it’s not surprising that they are looking good, the fact they are almost unanimous top performers is impressive.
The next two are known studs heading to blue blood programs, so nothing out of the ordinary, but Klubnik earned prestigious “alpha dog” status on day 1 for 247sports.com. Devin Brown is a guy many have been talking about recently and he put his best foot forward on Wednesday. Howard looks low on this leaderboard given his recruiting ranking, but at least one observer who didn’t put him in the top five still came away impressed.
Also really — really — like LSU commit Walker Howard.
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) July 1, 2021
Simpson only had one appearance in a top 5 list, however it was a big one as he was the number 1 participant according to SI.com. The rest of this group looked strong and are all in good position to finish in the Elite 11 at the end of the weekend.
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Top Performers Day 2
- Devin Brown – USC (4)
- Cade Klubnik – Clemson (3)
- Quinn Ewers – Ohio St. (3)
- Drew Allar – Penn St. (3)
- Katin Houser – Michigan St. (3)
- Ty Simpson – Alabama (1)
- Walker Howard – LSU (1)
- Conner Weigman – Texas A&M (1)
- Luther Richesson – Uncommitted (1)
- Nick Evers – Florida (0)
- Maalik Murphy – Texas (0)
Devin Brown had quite a showing in the Pro Day simulation, with many in attendance gushing about his performance. After a strong first impression, he has solidified himself as one of the best arm talents at this event. Ewers and Klubnik continue to be mentioned among the best quarterbacks in the finals, as expected. It may be eyebrow-raising that Ewers is not the unanimous top selection for every challenge, but that is what comes with the territory for a guy with sky-high expectations. Most scouts will be looking for anything to critique since it’s assumed he is one of the best before stepping on the field.
After two days, I think it is safe to say Walker Howard hasn’t been quite as advertised. There is no question he has a strong arm, but overall the accuracy has been in question, and given he is the composite QB2 in the class, one would have expected some more glowing reports rather than middling results.
While Nick Evers faded back to the middle of the pack on day 2, Drew Allar continued to show out. The Penn St. commit once again showed a live arm and touch and creativity with his throws. Finally, a name I am happy to see even being mentioned near the top is Luther Richesson, who really pops on his tape but has had a prolonged recruiting process. As a player ranked outside the top 1000 on 247, finishing in the top half of this group would do wonders to get his name out there. If he can land inside the official Elite 11, watch out.
At the time of this writing, Gerry Hamilton had not issued a day 2 update, so I will continue to update as some more information comes out regarding the pro day performances.
I look forward to more info out of Los Angeles as this crop of quarterbacks looks very impressive. Twelve of the last thirteen Heisman winners have been a part of the Elite 11 program, so one of these young guns will likely become a household name by 2024!
