2023 Quarterback, LSU Recruit Eli Holstein Making National Name of Himself

Holstein shines in Elite 11 showcase in Indiana over the weekend, here's what we learned

Brownsburg (Ind.) --Elite 11 provided Louisiana native Eli Holstein an opportunity to make a national name for himself, and he provided plenty of reason for people to now know why he’s one of the best 2023 quarterbacks in the country.

For years, LSU struggled to find in-state quarterbacks that lived up to the expectations of LSU fans. Recently, however, there’s been a major uptick with in-state signal callers. The 2023 in-state quarterback group is quite good, and one of the quarterbacks that LSU offered would be Eli Holstein from Zachary (La.) High School. He’s a physically gifted young man.

A True Athlete

Elite 11 confirmed Holstein’s 38-inch vertical leap and 4.69 40-yard dash as he measured in at 6-foot-3, 212-pounds. Most importantly, his physical gifts go well beyond throwing the football. This is a young man that certainly shined when throwing from the pocketbut his testing results helped to affirm Holstein’s ability to throw money passes while throwing against his body. 

Even more impressive, Holstein was able to drive the football through a gusty wind that was present all day long. His legs were the key regardless of the situation.

Power Thrower

Not every player possesses the natural arm strength of Holstein. His arm strength matches his size very well. Whether throwing with or without the wind, Holstein’s arm allows him to throw into smaller windows than other quarterbacks. It’s not just upper-body strength either.

Holstein powers the football through his lower body, especially his hips, a key component of a quality signal caller. Holstein “catapults” the football forward, if one will, in terms of over-the-top throwing motion and the velocity that follows. Think of Holstein as possessing a fastball that keeps batters on guard. That’s also why his lower body allows him to possess balanced mechanics that allow him to make other types of throws.

Touch

Holstein showed the ability to throw a “level two” ball, i.e. a pass with some loft to get over the linebacker or cornerback, but touch down in the wide receiver’s hands before the safety would be able to reach the wide receiver.

When combined with Holstein’s arm strength, this is an impressive dual combination. Most power throwers, high school signal callers in particular, struggle with touch. After watching Holstein throw during the Indianapolis Elite 11, there’s no question he’s been coached quite well to this point about how and when to utilize a touch pass. One final area catches one’s attention, and that’s movement skills.

Holstein On The Run

There are different types of mobile quarterbacks. Some of them simply run because they are not that accurate, while others create wide-open wide receivers with the use of their legs. Holstein would be the latter. He’s certainly a quality pocket quarterback, and his pocket passes are already being complemented with roll-out and sprint-out passes. There is a major difference with Holstein on the move as compared to most signal callers, however.

From everyone at the Elite 11, he was probably the best at keeping his on-the-move mechanics as close to the same as his pocket-mechanics. That’s a big-time accomplishment, especially for a young man that did not yet take a snap during his junior season.

Also of note, Holstein’s arm strength still stood out while moving right or left. That just needed to be stated for the record, as he continually powered through the football with a tight spiral even when outside the pocket. His ability to continue to learn the position is his final stepping stone.

Final Thoughts

Holstein is a big-armed passer with raw athleticism to make plays outside the pocket as well. He’s a national recruit for a reason and Elite 11 helped to ensure he’s one of the top rated players in the class of 2023 regardless of position.

LSU is one of several programs giving chase to Holstein, and he could be a central cog in LSU’s 2023 recruiting class. It will be interesting to see which quarterback(s) LSU really goes after with so many in-state possibilities available.

Tomorrow’s article will be a one-on-one interview with Holstein from after the Elite 11 camp’s conclusion