Preview: Final Elite 11 brings quarterbacks to Las Vegas
The camp season is winding down and that means the final Elite 11 regional will take place on Saturday in Las Vegas. Quarterbacks from Hawaii to Florida are hoping to earn an invite to the finals in Southern California and with only a handful of spots, the competition figures to be fierce in the desert sun.
Fork Union (Va.) quarterback Christian Hackenberg is undoubtedly the headliner for the regional after coming in ranked No. 64 overall in the MaxPreps Top 100. A Penn State commitment, Hackenberg will have his chance to shine and prove he's an elite signal-caller that deserves to be mentioned among the five-stars that are ahead of him in the rankings. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder has a strong arm and is one of the top players in the Northeast but hasn't faced a field of fellow QB's quite like this one before.
Joining Hackenberg among the players shouldering big expectations is recent Alabama commit and Marietta (Ga.) quarterback Parker McLeod, right. He's no stranger to these events and has thrown the ball well just about every time he's come out for a camp. There's a reason the sharp passer earned his offer from the Crimson Tide and instead of gunning for everybody else, this time around he'll have the target on his back.
Prosper (Texas) signal-caller Davis Webb is a bit under the radar as a prospect but has the arm to go throw-for-throw against the big boys. He's well suited to the Red Raiders offensive system and has a chance to earn a finals invite after being overshadowed at the Dallas regional. Recent Washington commitment Troy Williams is known as one of the top players in Southern California but is hoping to prove that Steve Sarkisian and company have one of the top passers in the country.
Other commitments in attendance are Iowa State-bound Trevor Hodge, Missouri pledge Trent Hosick, recent Vandy commit Chad Kanoff, Cincinnati commit Alton Meeks, Wake Forest pledge Michael Radford and Tulsa commit Ryan Rubley.
Maryland commit and Gilman (Md.) quarterback Shane Cockerille has come close to getting the coveted golden ticket out West but fell just short in the New York City regional. The lefty has a strong arm and was one of instructor Trent Dilfer's favorites but will have to stand out in a crowded field. Another player who could sneak up on folks with a good showing is Terre Haute (Ind.) quarterback Danny Etling. A Purdue commitment tutored by quarterback guru George Whitfield, he's a savvy kid who can spin the football.
In addition, some quarterbacks that have colleges interested are Brandon Cox, Brandon Dawkins, Isaac Dotson, Coltin Gerhart, Ty Griffin, Kelly Hilinski, Deylan Jones, Connor Manning and Jihad Vercher.
