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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.

From Texas to Tuscaloosa: High-stakes college football recruiting hits full gear in mid-June
Mike Roach
From Texas to Tuscaloosa: High-stakes college football recruiting hits full gear in mid-June

All eyes on Tennessee commit Faizon Brandon

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 aplenty

A 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 History

  • 16 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 

2025 Elite 11 finalists by state

  • 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

2025 Elite 11 finalists by conference committed

  • ACC - 5 
  • SEC - 4
  • Big Ten - 3
  • Big 12 - 2 

Get to know the 2025 Elite 11 finalists

TeamName247Sports rankingsBio
Faizon Brandon5-star | No. 1 QB | No. 1 overallBox-checking quarterback with the traits to be a catalyst for multiple College Football Playoff runs. Owns arguably the best on-field resume in the class and hasn't shied away from competition. Regional work out could best be described as a laser show that belonged somewhere on the Las Vegas strip. Reminds us of: Geno Smith
Keisean Henderson5-star | No. 2 QB | No. 3 overallMajor rankings riser is known by many for his Davy Crockett-style hat, but his fearless mindset is what should have people's attention as he's not afraid to take risks and hunt touchdowns. Has emerged as a flip target for many, but continues to maintain that he wants to stay home and play for Willie Fritz. Reminds us of: Jordan Love
Dia Bell5-star | No. 5 QB | No. 24 overallReigning Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida mixes clean mechanics with advanced processing skills. Spent much of offseason rehabbing from injury, but held his own at a loaded regional as he hit his marks with pace and touch. Could factor into the equation early at Texas once Arch Manning leaves. Reminds us of: Dante Moore

Landon Duckworth4-star | No. 8 QB | No. 50 overallOne of the biggest wildcards in the group. Decorated multiple-sport athlete that will leave high school needing two hands for all of the rings that he has collected. Initially committed to South Carolina before deciding to re-open his recruitment. Needs to find some consistency with ball placement. Reminds us of: Kellen Mond

Bowe Bentley4-star | No. 7 QB | No. 78 overallDe facto spread point guard went 16-0 and won a Texas 4A Division-1 state championship as a first-year starter. Struggled to find a rhythm at regional, but game tape paints a different picture as he's a dynamic playmaker that can beat defenses with his arm and legs. Down to Oklahoma and LSU. Reminds us of: Sam Howell
Jake Fette4-star | No. 8 QB | No. 105 overallQuick-twitched quarterback out of El Paso that needs to embrace the nickname 'El Passer.' Threw just one interception on 239 pass attempts as a junior and can dial up the RPMs like few others in the class. Gives Arizona State and Kenny Dillingham a building block in the post-Sam Leavitt era. Reminds us of: Ian Book

Oscar Rios4-star | No. 10 QB | No. 146 overallLanky dual-threat talent is of Mexican-Panamanian descent. Has proven to be very accurate on the move and brings plenty of energy to the position with his acceleration. Set to announce a decision on June 27 after taking official visits to UCLA, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Colorado and Kentucky. Reminds us of: Avery Johnson
Jonas Williams4-star | No. 13 QB | No. 197 overallYoungest player in the field is quick with the trigger and has both the precision and mobility to give defensive coordinators fits. Should set all-time passing records in Illinois before he makes his way to college and is the type of quarterback that has thrived in the past working with Lincoln Riley. Reminds us of: Spencer Rattler
Troy Huhn4-star | No. 14 QB | No. 205 overallThrowback pocket passer has been surgical operating off of play-action in a balanced attack. Looks the part with a prototypical frame that's pushing 6-foot-4, but has to cut down on the turnovers if he's going to reach his ceiling. One of two quarterbacks committed this cycle to Penn State. Reminds us of: Mac Jones
Jett Thomalla4-star | No. 15 QB | No. 234 overallInitially committed to Iowa State in April, but a recent offer from Alabama led to Thomalla's flip to the Crimson Tide. Set passing records as a junior and was named the MaxPreps Nebraska Player of the Year. Lacks polish, but has traits to mold. Reminds us of: Sawyer Robertson
Will Griffin4-star | No. 16 QBEnters senior year with 46 varsity starts under his belt, making him one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the class. Built like Tim Tebow, but wants to win more times than not with his arm. Finished regional on a high note as he was lights out in the red-zone. Reminds us of: Hunter Dekkers
Helaman Casuga4-star | No. 17 QBStocky high-volume distributor that plays for Jaxson Dart's alma mater. Missed a good chunk of junior year due to a foot injury, but is finally healthy and returning to form. Accuracy can fluctuate, but hard to beat when he's in sync, hence the 26-5 record as a starter. Reminds us of: Josh Hoover
Dereon Coleman3-star | No. 19 QBOne of the best pure passers in the country. Lacks the ideal size for the position, but finds ways to get the job done with his lightning-quick release and exit velocity. Might be a darkhorse to take home MVP honors as he has dominated in this type of setting since he was a youngster. Reminds us of: Tyler Huntley
Derek Zammit3-star | No. 20 QBGritty individual that picked Washington and Jedd Fisch over Alabama and Kalen Debeor back in April. Constantly capitalizes on the opportunities presented to him and doesn't get enough credit for his ability to create off-script. Needs to rebound after so-so showing at Under Armour Game. Reminds us of: Tommy DeVito
Tati Reynolds3-star | No. 26 QBTwo-sport athlete that's also planning to play baseball at Clemson. Owns ready-to-play mass and will keep defenses honest with his legs as he's ran for 2,142 yards and 38 touchdowns over the past three years. Might not be a high-percentage passer right now, but flashes are there. Reminds us of: Trace McSorley
Travis Burgess3-star | No. 27 QBTowering athlete captured a Georgia AAAAAA championship in his first year as a full-time starter. Must improve the down-field accuracy, but can pepper the perimeter and turn two in the RPO game. Far from a complete product, but easy to see why Bill Belichick pressed for a commitment. Reminds us of: CJ Bailey

Matt Ponatoski3-star | No. 29 QBFormer Missouri baseball commit is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 overall prospect in his class. Entertaining the idea of playing both sports in college after throwing for 3,456 yards and 57 touchdowns this past fall. Has only taken a handful of visits to date adding some mystery. Reminds us of: Devin Leary
Terry Walker3-star | No. 46 QBFeast-or-famine passer that's likely going to be a longer burn, but one that draws evaluators in with his arm strength and pocket mobility. Secured a spot at the event with a promising showing at a deep regional and will have a chance to win any potential long ball competition. Reminds us of: Jeff Sims

Bryson Beaver3-star | No. 55 QBHottest name on the quarterback market decommitted from Boise State after Oregon offered and was at Ole Miss over the weekend. Can drive the football to the intermediate level and connect on anticipatory throws. Also owns some surprising escape powers. Reminds us of: Katin Houser
Briggs Cherry3-star | No. 82 QBLowest-ranked finalist has a golden opportunity to make a case that he's better than his current projection. Older for the grade, but displays impressive pocket command and can be a full-field passing talent when protected. Tailor made for Jeff Brohm's system. Reminds us of: Jack Plummer

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!