David Cornwell is a really intriguing quarterback prospect. At 6’5 and 230 pounds, Cornwell already has the build of a college senior. With a huge arm and good mobility for his size, Cornwell carries a consensus four-star rating, and is widely considered one of the top pocket passers in the country. Cornwell was the first quarterback invited to the 2013 Elite 11 after a strong performance at the Dallas NFTC and Elite 11. He passed for over 2,700 yards with 27 TDs last season and ran for nearly 800 more with six rushing scores. On June 14 he committed to Alabama over offers from Auburn, Indiana, Kansas, Miami (Fla.), Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Tennessee, Tulsa, Virginia Tech and Washington State. Cornwell recently won a battle against the OSSAA for his eligibility in his senior year. Cornwell is on Twitter @DavidCornwell5
David Cornwell recruiting for Alabama at Elite 11, The Opening
Cornwell drew comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger.
Through three days of the Elite 11 in preparation for The Opening, Cornwell has had some great plays and some struggles. SB Nation spoke with Cornwell in the video above, and with Trent Dilfer, the head coach of the Elite 11, below.
Trent Dilfer spoke about Cornwell Saturday:
His best is as good as anyone. His NFL best.
He knows what gets him in trouble, because he has so many moving parts, it’s hard for him to stay organized consistently. His challenge won’t be the splash play. He’ll have some serious splash plays. His challenge will be the consistent play. It’s harder for him at 6’10 (joking), or whatever he is, he’s huge, to stay organized. Boy is his good, good. He moves his feet, for a big guy, you guys saw [Ben] Roethlisberger, it’s gotta be similar. It’s impressive.
He gets high (with his knees). The greatest players play level. Just watch the top of their heads. There’s very little up and down. David’s popping. And when you pop, you unload your power mechanism, right? Ground force becomes rotational force, which comes out your finger. When you’ve unloaded your leg by straightening it, you have to go back down and load it again, so it’s up and down. And any wasted movement adds to inconsistencies. And he knows it and works hard at it, and when he does it right, it’s scary how good he can be. These guys are figuring out their bodies, too.”
And again on Sunday:
“He’s up and down, as well. His best is better than everyone else, but he shows the inconsistency. His is more of an organization issue. He’s just so big, it’s hard to stay organized all the time. I think he might have had a break through today though. I think we broke through with him on some stuff that connected with him.”
