Breaking down all of the Elite 11 quarterback finalists

Paul Myerberg | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption Elite 11 QB Camp attracts top prep talent USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg at the Elite 11 QB Camp on which of the nation's premier high school quarterbacks are making their mark.

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Begin with a trivia question: What ties together Matt Leinart, Vince Young, JaMarcus Russell, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Jake Locker, Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, Blaine Gabbert, Andrew Luck, E.J. Manuel, Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston?

Each was a first-round NFL draft pick, for starters. Before that, however, each of these future college stars was a member of the Elite 11, a prestigious, quarterbacks-only club whose membership is determined each July on the melt-your-shoes-hot turf here at Nike world headquarters.

Last summer's Elite 11 contest was defined by its top-heaviness, from Blake Barnett through Josh Rosen, Kyler Murray, Jarrett Stidham and Drew Lock. Barnett, now a freshman at Alabama, was the MVP of the event; Rosen, the likely starter as a rookie at UCLA, was unquestionably the most gifted.

The 2015 crop of contenders, from which an elite crop of 11 will be harvested from a group of 18, can be described differently: There may be no standout star — no Rosen, no Barnett – but the depth is superb, and thus so is the competition itself.

"This is probably the most natural passing group we've ever had," said Elite 11 coach Trent Dilfer. "These guys make passing look easy, collectively as a group."

This club is joined by eight college counselors: Penn State's Christian Hackenberg, Arizona State's Mike Bercovici, Ohio State's J.T. Barrett, Southern California's Cody Kessler, Notre Dame's Malik Zaire, Clemson's Deshaun Watson, Tennessee's Josh Dobbs and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz.

Bercovici won the counselors-only skills challenge, topping Dobbs in the finals; yes, Barrett looks completely healthy after last year's foot injury; Watson is not quite back to full strength, but he's close; Zaire throws a beautiful ball; and Hackenberg looks every bit like the next first-round pick, last season's numbers be damned.

But this week's about the pre-college quarterbacks. Let's give a little insight into each invitee, going with a self-selected top 11 and then proceeding alphabetically, with some additional thoughts from Dilfer.

In true Elite 11 fashion –— an event where every step, on the field and off, is weighed, measured and calculated by a cadre of coaches — there will be a test to follow. Or is this the test? No one knows the method to this competition's madness.

1. Shane Buechele, Arlington Lamar (Texas) — verbally committed to Texas

He quickly drew comparisons to former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy after committing to the Longhorns in February, and for good reason: Buechele is not prototypically sized but maximizes his full athletic ability, teaming quick feet and dual-threat tendencies with the best mechanics of any quarterback in the competition. "The way his hips, core, shoulders unwind, the way the ball's loaded," said Dilfer, "literally, it's Aaron Rodgers. It's Drew Brees good." There's a reason why's he topped the Elite 11 leaderboard after each of the first two days of competition.

2. Jarrett Guarantano, Bergen Catholic (N.J.) — verbally committed to Tennessee

How good is Guarantano? "He's almost too talented," Dilfer said. Essentially, Guarantano can make every throw in the book — and do so with unmatched speed and power – but needs to spend more time working on his touch. "Layering," basically, meaning the ability to put balls over the tops of defenders rather than relying on pure arm strength to defeat coverage. It's not a huge issue to have at this stage in his development. "He's got everything you could ever want," said Dilfer. I would bet on Guarantano eventually being named MVP of this event. Tennessee is getting a superb prospect.

3. K.J. Costello, Santa Margarita (Calif.) — verbally committed to Stanford

Costello has made enormous strides just since the spring, impressing the coaches here with his mental and physical aptitude when compared to his work during regional events. A quarterback with next-level throwing acumen and the smarts to digest a ream of plays in days? Sounds like a Stanford quarterback. "That's a pretty good combination," Dilfer said. "He will beat people with his preparation. He will outwork people." He's not flashy by any means, but Costello will remain in the mix for the top spot.

4. Jacob Eason, Lake Stevens (Wash.) — verbally committed to Georgia

One of the negative byproducts of Eason being so talented is that onlookers tend to pick his game apart. Don't bother: Physically speaking, Eason is everything he's been made out to be. It almost looks easy, much like Rosen a year ago, but unlike Rosen – the most college-ready quarterback I've ever seen at this stage – Eason does have moments where things flutter slightly askew. I have no doubt that any small tweaks will be addressed by Mark Richt and the Georgia coaching staff.

5. Anthony Russo, Archbishop Wood (Pa.) — verbally committed to Rutgers

Russo has been the best story from the first two days. He wasn't inundated with scholarship offers before committing to Rutgers, drawn to the atmosphere developed by Kyle Flood and the NFL background of new offensive coordinator Ben McDaniels, but has been a standout at Elite 11. "He's done nothing but been awesome," said Dilfer. "This kid's got a chance to be great." Other programs will look back and kick themselves for not getting on board; Rutgers, on the other hand, must be ecstatic.

6. Nick Starkel, Liberty Christian (Texas) — verbally committed to Oklahoma State

According to Dilfer, Starkel throws the vertical ball as well as any quarterback to ever come through Elite 11. That's something to chew on. What else is there to add? He's probably the most popular quarterback in the group, as well as the quarterback most likely to take the time to congratulate scout-team wide receivers – local kids assigned to thanklessly run hundreds of routes – after a nice reception. That Starkel has shined at every stage of the process has really impressed the coaches.

7. Brandon Peters, Avon (Ind.) — verbally committed to Michigan

Unlike Starkel, Peters isn't exactly a vocal presence. But after the class left its locker room a mess after Monday's practices, it was these two quarterback who stayed behind, unprompted, to put the area back into spick-and-span shape. Elite 11 staffers love those little things. As a player, meanwhile, Peters simply does not get enough credit for his athleticism. "He's a freak," Dilfer said, calling him likely the best overall athlete in the competition. That doesn't always show up during instruction, but this will be evident during the 7-on-7 events later this week. In my eyes, Peters is a tent-pole quarterback for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan — the sort of player the new staff can build a program around.

8. Shea Patterson, Calvary Baptist (La.)— verbally committed to Mississippi

Patterson and Eason are cut from the same cloth, though Patterson's made less noise through two days. But they're both so physically blessed that what will separate them, Dilfer said, is their ability to command a huddle once another 150-plus stars arrive as part of The Opening. "I hope they're both trying to be great," said Dilfer. Patterson certainly has the potential to be a great one.

9. Messiah deWeaver, Wayne (Ohio) — verbally committed to Michigan State

When it comes to quarterback development, no program is more underrated than Michigan State. Here's the best part for the Spartans: For all the good-to-great quarterbacks who have recently come through the program — Hoyer, Cousins, Cook — "this kid's the best," Dilfer said of deWeaver. "He will be a phenomenal college football player." When you add his gifts to the Spartans' ability to develop talent at the position … it's a pretty intriguing proposition.

10. Dwayne Haskins, The Bullis School (Md.) — verbally committed to Maryland

I don't want to ignore what Haskins can do with the football. But what separates the Maryland commitment from others in the competition are those assets that can't be truly defined – his ability to demand attention in the huddle, to quickly grab a leadership role, to be the most popular guy in the room. That doesn't go ignored during Elite 11.

11. Patrick O'Brien, San Juan Hills (Calif.) — verbally committed to Nebraska

After not starting at quarterback until his junior season, O'Brien flew completely under the recruiting radar until this spring, when he stood out at a regional camp held in Los Angeles. He chose Nebraska, his biggest offer to date, thanks to a great relationship with the coaching staff and the opportunity to work with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf. O'Brien was great on Monday but too indecisive on Tuesday, which hurt his stock, "but the kid's awesome," Dilfer said. He's got a smooth delivery, throws a great ball and has the frame to really be molded into a multiple-year starter for the Cornhuskers. I also think he's someone who should be at his best during the 7-on-7 events.

Jett Duffey, Lake Ridge (Texas) — verbally committed to Texas Tech

Duffey was the most dominant quarterback from the Elite 11 regional tryouts through the semifinals held last month at USC. He hasn't been the same during the finals, particularly on Monday. "He tried to be something he's not, "said Dilfer. But he improved yesterday, boosting his stock heading into the final three days, and in the process learned a valuable lesson: Stay within yourself.

Feleipe' Franks, Wakulla (Fla.) — verbally committed to LSU

Four years from now, when this group enters the prime of their college careers — and for some, begin to think about an NFL future – we may view Franks as the best quarterback in the class. There's one thing that stands out after two days: While he's been labeled by each major recruiting site as a dual-threat quarterback, Franks is nothing of the sort. He's definitely agile enough to make plays with his legs, but it's as a passer that his talent is most evident. "He's a passer," Dilfer said. "I'm going to freak out if anybody calls him a dual-threat athlete. This kid can freaking pass. I think he could be as good as anybody."

Malik Henry, N/A — verbally committed to Florida State

Henry is unquestionably the biggest enigma at the event — both for his play, which has been affected by a lingering shoulder injury, and his winding road toward Tallahassee. After his junior season, Henry transferred from Westlake High School in California to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., a football powerhouse then run by former Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke. In June, however, Henry announced he would be leaving IMG, presumably to return to a school in California — as yet unnamed.

That strange saga lingers, as do concerns over the health of his shoulder. It's been suggested that Henry would be best served not playing at all as a senior, instead spending the time returning to full health while working toward graduating in the winter and enrolling early at FSU. We'll see how that plays out. More than anything, Henry needs to learn that there's more to playing quarterback than just the picture-perfect throw, Dilfer said. "Malik is an exceptional, exceptional passer, to the point where he thinks that's enough."

Brandon McIlwain, Council Rock North (Pa.) — verbally committed to South Carolina

Coaches here adore McIlwain's mental makeup. Athletically, he's not just a high-level quarterback prospect but a potential baseball star; McIlwain, who wants to play both sports at South Carolina, may go high in next year's Major League Baseball draft. The arm strength doesn't quite match the best in the class, but there's something to be said for those clichéd intangibles. Dilfer describes his total makeup as a "difference maker."

Jawon Pass, Columbus Carver (Ga.) — considering Alabama, Auburn, Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia Tech

Pass is the rawest quarterback in the event. But that's not a bad thing: Alabama, Auburn and others see a potential diamond, if one who needs polish, and there's substantial promise to be found in a prospect with his basic foundation of talent and athleticism. That doesn't mean he's not playing behind the eight ball among a crop of quarterbacks with far more experience at the position. "He's never been taught a drop, a defense, a play," said Dilfer, "so this is like giving me the Chinese dictionary and saying, 'Hey, go.' But he gets better every rep."

Dillon Sterling-Cole, Westfield (Texas) — considering Houston, Florida, Arizona State and UCLA, among others

Like Pass, Sterling-Cole stands apart as one of just two uncommitted quarterbacks in the competition. It hasn't been a perfect week by any means: He really struggled on the first day before taking a slight step forward on Tuesday, showing the sort of skills that led Dilfer to describe him as "a very natural passer." It will be interesting to follow his recruitment, for one, but also how Sterling-Cole fares in the 7-on-7 matchups. He could be one of those quarterbacks who shines brightest when the instruction turns into largely uninstructed competition.

Jake Zembiec, Aquinas Institute (N.Y.) — verbally committed to Penn State

Zembiec has been fairly quiet thus far, alternating periods of impressive play with the occasional lulls of inaccuracy. But his good is, well, pretty good. And the instruction doesn't have Zembiec swimming, Dilfer said. "His bad is not a he-doesn't-get-it-bad, it's a he's-trying-too-hard bad." That can be fixed. He's going into a great situation at Penn State.

Contributing: Daniel Uthman