Day one of the 2026 Elite 11 Finals has arrived. The illustrious event, featuring 20 of the nation’s top quarterback recruits, is getting underway on Friday evening in Los Angeles.
There are few higher honors for high school quarterbacks than being invited to the event, which will celebrate its 28th year in 2026. It brings together the country’s elite signal-callers for three days of competition, skill work and training, which culminates with a 7-on-7 skills showcase on Sunday.
Each of the 20 passers landed invites to the finals after competing in one of the event’s seven regional feeder camps that occurred throughout the spring.
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This year’s group features each of the top 10 quarterbacks in the 2027 Rivals Industry Ranking and 15 of the top 20. Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, as well as Rivals national experts Greg Biggins, Adam Gorney and Brandon Huffman are all on hand for the first throwing session and will provide coverage and analysis throughout.
Join the discussion on the Rivals recruiting board here.
Live Updates from Elite 11 Finals Day 1
Three prevalent college QBs return as counselors
05/29/2026 08:18:09 PM
Auburn’s Byrum Brown, Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. are in LA and are serving as this year’s Elite 11 college counselors.
Sagapolutele notably came to the 2024 Elite 11 Finals from Hawaii as an unranked prospect and left with his stock soaring after an impressive showing. He ended the 2025 recruiting cycle as the No. 20 overall prospect and No. 4 QB in the Rivals300.
“Watching the college counselors warm up. Sagapolutele has such effortless arm strength, doesn’t have to strain to generate RPMs. Demond Williams has added significant mass in his lower body since high school. Byrum Brown is an imposing physical presence, looks like he’s working on tightening his release with QB coach Jordan Palmer.” — Charles Power
Ranking the regional performances
05/29/2026 07:55:56 PM
The passers earned invitations after competing at regional feeder camps throughout the spring. Rivals got a look at each, and earlier this week, Power and Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire ranked the top regional performances.
Kentucky four-star commit Jake Nawrot headlined the list thanks to his big showing at the Indianapolis regional. Nawrot is the No. 2 QB in the updated Rivals300 rankings.
“Nawrot put together the most consistent regional workout from start to finish,” Power wrote.
Previewing the Elite 11 Finals
05/29/2026 07:49:32 PM
There’s never a shortage of storylines among the top passers from a scouting perspective. Rivals’ Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power Previewed the event earlier this week, naming some of the top arms in attendance and others who will look to bump their stock up over the next three days.
“Ultimately, the Elite 11 Finals is just a piece of what is a multi-year evaluation process,” Power wrote. “The event is naturally highly subjective, due to the format. For Rivals, we factor in the high-level ability and consistency of the performance shown over the three days when formulating our Top Performers.”
Of the top 20 quarterbacks in the Rivals Industry Ranking this cycle, 15 are in Los Angeles this weekend. Just two passers — Colton Nussmeier and Ryan Rakowski — are currently uncommitted.