Three Alabama QBs Crack ESPN Elite 11 All-Time Rankings
The Elite 11 is the premier quarterback event for the nation’s top high school prospects. Throughout its 23-year history, the exclusive fraternity has seen an immense amount of talent at the position come through its program.
26 out of 32 NFL starters and 13 of the past 14 Heisman-winning quarterbacks have either attended the Elite 11 finals or a regional camp. In a recent article, ESPN recruiting analyst Billy Tucker ranked the top 20 all-time performances at the camp.
Tua Tagovailoa is the highest ranked Alabama quarterback on the list at No. 4. The Saint Louis School (Hawaii) product was a four-star recruit and the No. 57 overall player according to ESPN.
“Tagovailoa came from an initial Elite 11 ranking of the low teens all the way to 2016 MVP with dominant showings in the pro day and then the opening 7-on-7 portion. He led his squad of future Alabama teammates featuring Jerry Jeudy and Najee Harris to a team title with elite tempo, poise and accuracy. He also mastered the playbook.”
Tagovailoa went on to revolutionize offense for the Crimson Tide. He came off the bench in the second half of the 2018 national title game and led Alabama back from a 13-0 deficit. He tossed three touchdowns, including a 41-yard game-winner to DeVonta Smith in overtime.
Over the next two seasons, Tagovailoa led Alabama to a 22-2 record as the starter, accumulating 7,442 passing yards, 87 touchdowns. He was selected with fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
Bryce Young, a five-star recruit was the No. 5 overall player coming out of Mater Dei High School (California) in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Young comes in at No. 15 on the list.
“Young was a close MVP runner-up to CJ Stroud at the 2019 finals, as the two had the misfortune of being on the same 7-on-7 team, otherwise the result could have easily been flipped in Young's favor. He had a strong showing in the pro day competition and was consistently impressive throughout drills.”
Young spent his freshman season as a backup to Mac Jones. As a sophomore, he exploded onto the scene, breaking the school record for passing yards (4,872) and touchdowns (47). Young became the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman trophy.
Blake Barnett was rated as a five-star recruit and No. 14 overall player in the 2015 recruiting cycle coming out of Santiago High School (California). Tucker ranked him as the No. 17 performance.
“Barnett, a 6-5 pocket passer with good mobility, made the most of his opportunities at the 2014 finals. He emerged from a group of finalists that included three future first-round draft picks (Josh Rosen, Kyler Murray and Sam Darnold) to earn MVP honors, largely based on a connection in 7-on-7 play with future Alabama teammate Calvin Ridley.”
Barnett redshirted as freshman with Jake Coker at the helm. He started the Tide’s season opener in 2016 against USC before being replaced by Jalen Hurts in the second quarter. Hurts never relinquished his position and Barnett withdrew from school four games into the season. He transferred to Arizona State in 2017 and appeared in four games as a backup. Barnett then transferred to USF in 2018 where he went 7-3 as a starter in his first season. He appeared in four games in 2019, tossing four touchdowns and two interceptions.
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