2025 Elite 11 Finals offer glimpse into college football's future: Names, trends to know before event begins
The Elite 11 Finals are set to get underway later this week, which means the future of football's most important position will be on full display as 20 soon-to-be high school senior quarterbacks converge on Los Angeles for three days of competition.
The invite-only event is entering its 26th year and has served as a proving ground in the past for some of the game's brightest stars. From Jayden Daniels, CJ Stroud, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Bo Nix and Bryce Young to Drew Allar, Cade Klubnick, Garrett Nussmeier, Carson Beck, DJ Lagway and Dylan Raiola -- the alumni list for the Elite 11 Finals is simply unrivaled.
Headlining this year's roster are seven of the top 10 signal callers in the Top247 for class of 2026. That includes Faizon Brandon, the nation's No. 1-ranked overall prospect. The big names will be joined by a promising group of other finalists that all profile as potential difference-makers on Saturdays and possibly even Sundays.
Action gets underway Tuesday night with an opening work out while a 20-throw scripted pro day anchors Wednesday night's action. Thursday afternoon features 7-on-7 play before the Elite 11 staff crowns its annual top 11 quarterbacks and names an overall MVP.
Brandon has been no stranger to the offseason camp circuit and punched his ticket to the Elite 11 Finals with one of the more impressive throwing sessions we have seen in recent years.
A two-year starter with a 29-1 high school record to his credit, Brandon is coming off a remarkable junior campaign in which he completed a Top247-best 77.1 percent of his passes while leading Greensboro Grimsley to a North Carolina 4A championship. The second-youngest finalist in the field, Brandon pairs a high-caliber arm with sleek dual-threat athleticism.
In previous editions of the Elite 11 Finals, a handful of participants have made it clear that they are ahead of the curve and more than likely push for playing time as true freshmen. If Brandon can separate himself from the rest of the pack, it would be a major development for Tennessee as Josh Heupel and the Volunteers deal with the short and long-term fallout from Nico Iamaleava's exit.
Which challengers emerge?Brandon arrives with a target on his back and it wouldn't be surprising to see others push him. While Georgia commit Jared Curtis and Ryder Lyons won't be in attendance, fellow five-stars Keisean Henderson and Dia Bell will be.
Henderson put himself on the map with an MVP performance at this past winter's Navy All-American Bowl. An explosive athlete with a budding frame, some schools were initially recruiting Henderson to play wide receiver, but he has always viewed himself as quarterback and that's one of the main reasons he's committed to Houston as the Cougars saw him as a quarterback from the jump.
Bell is committed to Texas. The son of former NBA guard Raja Bell missed the tail end of his junior season due to injury, but has a natural feel for the position and has shown major year-over-year improvement after first emerging on the recruiting scene as an eighth grader at an American Heritage program in Florida that constantly churns out future NFL talent.
Uncomitted arms aplentyA quarter of the 20 finalists enter the week uncommitted, which adds some unexpected juice to the event. Quarterback recruiting has accelerated over the past few years, but power brokers like Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and LSU are all still searching for a signal caller in the 2026 recruiting cycle as are plenty of other College Football Playoff hopefuls.
Landon Duckworth and Bowe Bentley are the two highest-ranked uncommitted quarterbacks set to compete and both players appear to have narrowed their choices down to two schools. Duckworth is believed to be favoring South Carolina and Auburn, while Bentley has zeroed in on LSU and Oklahoma.
Oregon and Alabama are both involved with Matt Ponatoski while the Ducks have also extended a recent offer to Bryson Beaver, who backed off a verbal pledge to Boise State just a few days ago. Oscar Rios is the only uncommitted finalist with a decision date set as he's planning to pick between Arizona, Kentucky, UCLA, Colorado and Oklahoma State on June 27.
Elite 11 History16 of the last 17 QBs to win the Heisman Trophy attended Elite 11 finals or regionals
The last three Heisman Trophy winning QBs were Elite 11 finalists
Twelve of the last 13 QBs to go No. 1 overall in NFL Draft attended Elite 11 finals or regionals
- California - 3
- Texas - 3
- Florida - 3
- Ohio - 1
- Nebraska -1
- Indiana - 1
- Georgia - 1
- Utah - 1
- New Jersey - 1
- North Carolina - 1
- Arizona - 1
- Tennessee - 1
- ACC - 5
- SEC - 3
- Big Ten - 3
- Big 12 - 3
As the summer heats up, so too does the recruiting calendar. June will be chock-full of official visits, followed by a July spree of commitments. A subscription to 247Sports -- the industry leader in college sports recruiting coverage at the national and local level -- gets you access to every bit of news from our stable of insiders who span the country from coast-to-coast, and unlocks VIP insider content. Sign up here today!
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