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Fact or Fiction: Caleb Williams will still be No. 1 QB after Elite 11

Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams (Rivals.com)

National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.

ELITE 11: QB rankings from Day 1 | Day 2

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022: Top 100

MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series



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1. Caleb Williams will hold onto the No. 1 spot after Elite 11.

Farrell’s take: FACT. It’s only been two days at the Elite 11, but Williams is off to an impressive start. It’s a close battle between Williams and Vandagriff for the No. 1 QB spot in the country and the Elite 11 never determines that, but it’s a good head-to-head gauge during the summer. We don’t re-rank until August at the earliest and with COVID-19 shutting down most things, it could be mid-season when we re-rank 2021, but my best guess is that Williams will impress enough to hang on over Vandagriff.

Gorney’s take: FACT. Out of extreme caution, Sam Huard decided not to attend the Elite 11 because he was in contact with someone who contracted coronavirus even though he tested negative. That would have been an interesting competition to see the five-star lefty at this event. The Washington commitment is incredibly polished and never makes bad throws, so this is a three-horse race with Williams, Vandagriff and Huard at the top. Williams is extending his lead as the top quarterback in this class. The ball pops, he’s accurate and he’s a leader.

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2. Behren Morton will impress more than Kaidon Salter.

Kaidon Salter
Kaidon Salter (Rivals.com)

Farrell’s take: FACT. Morton is a high three-star in Texas committed to Texas Tech while Salter is a low four-star committed to Tennessee. Both are ready to rep their schools at the Elite 11 and Morton is off to a faster start. And Morton will be more impressive in this setting as a bigger kid with a live arm. Salter is smaller but also has a big arm and moves around well, so it will be interesting to see how the rankings play out. Both players put up nice numbers this past season and can extend the play, so I have a feeling Morton will show he belongs in the four-star category as well.

Gorney’s take: FICTION. My guess is that Salter will impress with his athleticism, his live arm and his ability to make every throw in the book. The Tennessee commit can do it all, he makes the deep ball look effortless, he can prolong plays with his feet and he’s cool and calm once the pressure comes his way. Morton takes risks sometimes, throws picks and even in an Elite 11 setting, that can be a concern.

Behren Morton
Behren Morton

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3. Walker Little can push Penei Sewell for best OT in Pac-12.

Farrell’s take: FICTION. I like Walker Little a lot and I think he comes back from injury with a vengeance this season. I also feel he’s going to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But better than Penei Sewell? Not likely. Sewell is the best OL prospect for the NFL Draft I’ve seen in a few years and should be a top five pick next year. The Pac-12 has some great linemen this upcoming season and these two could be 1-2 in the country. But Sewell is far and away more special.

Gorney’s take: FICTION: There’s almost no doubt that if Sewell was eligible to be drafted that NFL last April, he would have gone in the top five. Now he has another year to dominate in college football and other than some quarterbacks high on the list, no one is higher than Sewell. Little is a talented kid, but he’s dealt with injuries. If he comes back stronger than ever, he could easily be an early first-round selection, but Sewell will be the No. 1 offensive lineman taken barring an injury.

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