First impressions of top 2018 QB recruits at the Elite 11 Finals

Los Angeles, Calif. — The Elite 11 Finals got underway on Friday, and some of the most talented signal callers from across the country are on-hand. SB Nation’s Bud Elliott has been on the field for all the action, and he posted some thoughts and observations after Day 1 on our live event page.

Bud’s got you covered with from all of the action from Day 1 below.

Going to post a few thoughts on each kid from my notes here, starting with Gerry Bohanon. He’s thickly built and it’s easy top see why teams that ruin their QBs like him a lot. I can’t imagine high schoolers trying to tackle him. The throwing part of playing QB has a ways to go, but he’s got a chance. Interestingly, other recruiting analysts were wondering if all of the schools in his recently released top six would accept a commitment.

I compared Clemson QB commit Trevor Lawrence to Mike Trout yesterday. Trout is the best player in baseball, and has been for six years running. Yet every year, perhaps out of boredom with Trout being the best, folks try to suggest someone else is better. Lawrence is the best quarterback in the 2018 class, has been so ever since he broke out in 2014, and has shown nothing to suggest otherwise. It’s boring, but it’s the truth. In my mind, the debate right now is over who is No. 2. The Atlanta product is 6’6 with a big arm, and puts the ball wherever he wants it. He’s polished in his mechanics, and refined in breaking down defenses. And he can make defenses pay if they ignore his legs.

Michigan QB Joe Milton has the strongest arm at the event. It’s one of the biggest I’ve seen in covering this event since 2012. The next step for him is shortening his delivery, and dialing up the appropriate amount of touch and speed on each throw. Not every pitch is a fastball. Not dropping the ball so low will allow him to become more consistent.

USC QB commit Matt Corral has a big arm, but like Milton, he has to dial in the right amount of tough, arc and speed for each throw. I didn’t think Corral was great in the early part of the camp, but he responded late when challenged in some final drills.

I might be the president of the Justin Fields fan club, having proclaimed in March that his upside was that of a “tall Russell Wilson.” What’s not to like? A sharp guy, big arm, mechanics that are better than you’d expect from someone who also plays a lot of baseball, and elite athleticism in a 6’3, 221-pound package. It’s easy to see why programs like Auburn, Alabama, Florida, and Florida State are not giving up on recruiting the Penn State commit from Atlanta.

Some folks have said that Ohio State QB commit Emory Jones has struggled throwing the ball offseason, but I must have missed those events. He was good at the Under Armour Atlanta event a few months ago, and very strong Friday. The Georgia native has a strong arm, smooth stroke, and stood tall in the pocket. I’m higher on him than most, and comfortable with that position.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson impresses me every time I see him. Do you remember when football video games were in their infancy, and you could run at full speed and then release the joystick and the player would come to an immediate stop, ready to fire a ball accurately? That’s DTR. He’s the best athlete at the event, but also the most under control, which allows him to use a strong arm and clean, compact release to deliver strikes. And he knows where he is going with the ball, which is impressive given he has yet to start a game in high school, having backed up Ohio State signee Tate Martel last year. Thompson-Robinson is a bright kid, and UCLA is getting a really promising QB.

This was my first time seeing Arizona QB Tyler Shough in person, and he looked good. Shough is 6’5 with room to add probably 20 pounds in a college strength program. He has easy velocity and a clean stroke. Michigan, North Carolina are among his top offers.

Everything about Tanner McKee is big. Big arm, big body, big delivery. The ball jumps off his hand, but like most 6’6 quarterbacks, the challenge will be control. Can he take the short, quick steps that great quarterbacks make in the pocket? Can the delivery be compact and quick enough? I’m sure the Elite 11 staff will challenge the California product in these areas on Saturday and Sunday.

You don’t see many 5’10 quarterbacks succeed, but if anyone can overcome that height to be a college success, it’s Re-al Mitchell. He throws the ball with better velocity than you’d expect given his size, and yet does not need a huge windup to do so. Oh, and he’s run an 11.03 100-meter time and a 21.87 200-meter. He could make some noise at Iowa State.

This was my first time seeing QB Quincy Patterson, the Virginia Tech commit from Chicago. And I came away impressed by a player with a strong arm, paired with a smooth release. He’s a shotmaker and will get better as his footwork becomes more consistent. He could be dangerous in Justin Fuente’s offense.

Justin Rogers was late after some flight issues, so I’ll focus more on him Saturday and Sunday. But in the limited action I saw, I was encouraged by his continued improvement throwing the football. The TCU commit from Louisiana just keeps getting better.

Joey Gatewood seems to be coming into his own. The enormous Auburn commit has been faced with questions about what position he’ll play in college (tight end or defensive end are also options), but he’s made significant strides throwing the football in the last year. It can be hard to manage 6’5 and 235 pounds, but Gatewood was better on Friday than I’ve ever seen him.

Kentucky QB commit Jarren Williams, from Atlanta, just keeps getting better. He looks to have tightened up his motion a bit and put on some muscle. Premier programs are still coming after him, but he told me he is solid to Kentucky after recommitting in May. I look for Williams to continue to rise in the recruiting rankings if he can carry his Friday performance into the weekend.

I’m excited about Missouri QB commit James Foster. You probably already know about his athleticism, but Foster has the chance to be a very good passer. He threw a couple nice balls over linebackers for Touchdowns Friday.

Lefty Texas QB Jalen Mayden recently committed to Mississippi State, which I think is a great match for his skills. When his feet are under control, he delivers a good ball -- both with RPMs and arc. The key will be increasing the frequency with which he sets up with good footwork.

Washington QB commit Jacob Sirmon was more muscled than I realized. At 6’4 and 225 pounds, he’s a load to bring down. Sirmon threw some dimes Friday, but also some misses that made me scratch my head. His upside is intriguing.

I... don’t have anything written down for Stanford QB commit Jack West? I’ll watch the Alabama native more Saturday.

Utah QB commit Jack Tuttle showed why he has continued to climb the rankings since a breakout performance at the Los Angeles Nike Opening Regional a few months ago. Tuttle has good arm, consistent motion, and puts the ball on the money. I think he has one of the highest floors in the 2018 class.

This was the first time I had seen New Jersey QB Devin Leary, an N.C. State commitment. He’s not the tallest player at the event, but has a quick release and a much bigger arm than I realized. I’ll be looking to see if he can add more touch to his throws, putting them over linebackers and in front of safeties.

Dakereon Joyner is one heck of an athlete, but on day one, it was clear why many schools want him to play receiver, running back or defensive back. The Elite 11 is more about throwing the ball than running it, and when you take his legs away, he has a bunch of work to do as a passer. The ball coming out of his hand just looks different than those of most of the QBs at the event.

But it was just one day. He kept his energy high and was enthusiastic about taking the coaching. On Day 2, I look for him to improve and implement the coaching from Day 1 to the extent that can be done (a delivery won’t change overnight). And he is likely to put on a show in many of the pro-day drills Saturday, where some less athletic QBs will struggle.

The key for him will be to pick a school where he can sit for a bit and develop, as opposed to being thrown into the fire on Day 1. He can be a weapon at the QB position if his throwing comes along.

Washington QB commit Colson Yankoff, from Idaho was not participating due to recent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He should be back by the start of football season.

Utah QB Cammon Cooper, a Washington State commit, is a perfect fit for that offense. He doesn’t have the biggest arm, but is quick and compact with his delivery. His delivery reminds me some of former Boise State QB Kellen Moore.

Blake Stenstrom, son of former Stanford and NFL QB Steve Stenstrom looked pretty good. He has a quick release and while you’d expect someone with an NFL pedigree to be polished, it is interesting that he is this comfortable despite not yet being a starter (last year he sat behind Michigan signee Dylan McCaffrey).

This was the first time I had seen Carter Bradley throw live. And while the Jacksonville (Fla.) QB did not blow me away, he also didn’t look like someone who didn’t belong. I’ll be watching him more today.