Elite 11 Finals: The Gorney Awards
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. - The Elite 11 wrapped up Thursday and there was plenty to watch and consider over the three-day event. Here are the Gorney Awards from the summer’s quarterback showcase.
MORE ELITE 11: Ranking the QBs at pro day | Gorney's takeaways from opening night
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CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
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BIGGEST SURPRISE: JJ Kohl
Kohl was literally the biggest quarterback at the event and he was also the one who unexpectedly stood out the most. The four-star Iowa State commit is ranked No. 12 at pro-style quarterback right now but he proved he’s much better with a big-time arm, surprising mobility and the skills to shine at every test the Elite 11 coaches put him through. The Cyclones are getting a major talent, and Kohl really surprised a lot of people against national competition.
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The five-star quarterback did five-star things and after his outstanding performance, especially during the pro-day event on Wednesday night, Moore could make an argument as the best QB in the 2023 class. He was that good, that precise as a passer, that impressive on the long ball, on throws across the middle, on throws where he was forced off-balance or had to put touch on the ball. The Detroit Martin Luther King standout did everything on-point and now he just has to pick a school as Oregon, Michigan and others are high on the list.
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SMOOTH OPERATOR: Malachi Nelson
When Nelson is firing on all cylinders, he’s really impressive and for the three days at the Elite 11 he was really something to see. The five-star quarterback who is committed to USC has an effortless motion, the ball pops off his hand, he can zip it when needed or put touch on his throws. He was very good during the pro day on Wednesday and more than backed up his ranking.
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BEST ARM: Jackson Arnold
Nobody threw a sharper pass at the event than Arnold, who was excellent on short, intermediate and deep passes, passed every test with flying colors and proved he should be in the conversation for a jump in the rankings. It’s tight at the top with a lot of elite quarterbacks in this class, but the ball jumped off Arnold’s hand, he spins it so well and Oklahoma is getting a really special player.
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PRECISION PASSER: Austin Novosad
What stood out most about Novosad all week was that he just doesn’t miss. He hits guys coming out of the backfield in stride. Guys coming across the middle, whether it’s a speedy receiver or a slower tight end, he put the ball on the numbers. Receivers breaking deep, Novosad hit them in stride. The Baylor commit who’s considering Texas A&M and Ohio State as well had a very strong showing and his consistency was striking.
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TALK OF THE TOWN: Christopher Vizzina
How good was Vizzina at the Elite 11? He was right at or near the top. Should he be a five-star? That’s still under debate, but it will be discussed because he has the size, mental makeup, arm ability and the intangibles to be really special. The Clemson commit is unassuming but does everything incredibly well and really looks advanced for someone entering his senior year of high school.
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HOT AND COLD: Avery Johnson
When Johnson was in rhythm, he was really impressive. There were stretches where he wasn’t in stride but mainly, the four-star quarterback who will soon decide from Kansas State, Washington and Oregon had zip on his passes, hit receivers with perfect timing and had some flash throws along the way.
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POWER FIVE GUY: Jaxon Smolik
Smolik was the replacement for five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who went to a volleyball tournament instead of the Elite 11, and the West Des Moines (Iowa) Dowling quarterback more than held his own. The Tulane commit who’s hearing from Cal and others is clearly talented enough to play at a Power Five school as he has pop in his passes, he’s accurate and he didn’t back down from a big-time challenge over the last few days.
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STOCK UP: Kenny Minchey
There are 25 pro-style quarterbacks ranked in the 2023 class. Minchey is not one of them. But that will change during the next rankings cycle. The Pitt commit has an excellent physical frame, he was very impressive during the pro-day event and also shined at times on Tuesday night during the early drill work. We’ve now seen the list of pro-style quarterbacks at numerous events, and Minchey deserves to be on it for sure.