Elite 11 Day Two Full Rankings
The Elite 11 is the premier location for quarterback talent in the offseason, so two Sports Illustrated teams of evaluators attended and graded every throw from every participant. Brooks Austin, Zach Goodall, Brandon Carroll, and myself split into two groups and went to opposite ends of the field to get two camera angles on every ball thrown.
We graded each throw on a scale from 0-3. Each quarterback had a 20-throw script encompassing everything from check-downs to deep post-corner routes. The coaches only went over the script once live before the quarterbacks began throwing, meaning it tested a good deal of mental acuity. Our two teams averaged our grades together, and these are the results. Note that the scale is out of 60 points, three total points for each throw.
Scoring System
- 0: Errant throw, uncatchable pass
- 1: Poor throw
- 2. A throw that was either mislocated or hindered the target's momentum
- 3: A throw in-stride and on time
1. Julian Sayin (54.3)
Evan: Our day two MVP was Alabama quarterback commit Julian Sayin, and it was by a comfortable margin. He was the event’s most accurate passer and layered the football extremely well to all layers of the field. Sayin hit several hole shots along the boundary, placed in the perfect spot. He also excelled in the short game, a series of four quick throws to begin your session. Sayin was locked into each rep from the beginning and displayed great attention to detail the entire time.
2. Dylan Raiola (53)
Zach: In a setting where the top arms tend to separate themselves from the others, Raiola’s did just that during Thursday evening’s pro day competition. Only one of his 20 passes were rated poorly while 13 of his throws were considered on the money, including a streak of five in a row. Raiola effortlessly alternated between throwing with velocity and passing with touch and anticipation in order to make the most accurate toss, something he did consistently to each level of the field, inside and out. His throw targeting a backside comeback was one of the best passes of any contestant during the event.
3. Isaac Wilson (49.8)
Brandon: Pro Day is a family legacy for the Wilsons. On Thursday, Isaac – who was visibly comfortable in the setting – continued what his brother, Zach, started during 2021 NFL Draft preparation. Proving as one of the most accurate passers at the camp during the Pro Day session, Wilson tossed an assortment of on-target balls at all levels and parts of the field. He hit the routine throws in the short and intermediate areas, showcased the necessary drive and velocity on balls outside numbers and even demonstrated the mixture of arm strength and finesse to hit intended pass catchers on the deep throws into the end zone.
4. Ethan Grunkemeyer (49.5)
Brandon: The Penn State commit proved yet again on Thursday that he is a dark horse candidate to earn the crown of Elite 11. Completing 17 of his 20 throws on the night, 12 of which were money balls, Grunkemeyer produced excellent zip on throws to the boundary and layered his passes well when working over the middle of the field. His routine passes were made with adequate ease, and despite facing trials throughout the script, he responded well as he displayed evident confidence in his skillset.
5. DJ Lagway (48.5)
Zach: Continuing to dominate the competition physically as he did on day one, Lagway’s natural arm power was on full display throughout his pro day performance and was highlighted best by some of the script’s toughest tosses. His roughly 55-air-yard pass off of one foot, on the run, targeting a deep corner route at the front right pylon was a perfect example, and he similarly aced passes of difficulty like the running back swing, rail shot and back-of-the-endzone drag routes. Of Lagway’s six incompletions, only one was turnover-worthy; three were dropped by the targeted receiver despite good placement.
6. CJ Carr (48.3)
Zach: Carr was one of the most on-target passers of the night, making throws at all levels of the field. The Notre Dame commit has tremendous touch and throws a tight ball. He gets outside the numbers and keeps the ball soft so that receivers can catch it. One of the only participants that hasn’t thrown a wobbler all week.
7. Demond Williams Jr. (48)
Brandon: Lane Kiffin’s quarterback of the future bounced back after a sluggish day one to shine in the Pro Day circuit. He excelled on throws down the field, notably a variant post-corner route on the fifth play of the script, to backup the praise for touch, arm strength and accuracy he garnered heading into the event. He closed the performance on a hot streak, compiling six money balls across his last seven throws. The sequence resulted in his standing at No. 8 in our rankings.
8. Dante Reno (47.5)
Evan: South Carolina quarterback commit Dante Reno was a big surprise to many attending. He’s the son of Yale head coach Tony Reno and definitely looks the part of a coach’s kid. Reno was attentive when other participants were going through drills and had essentially memorized the 20-throw script by the time it was his turn to throw. He made an impressive throw on a deep corner post, dropping it into the bucket and showing off his arm talent within the hash marks.
9. Air Noland (47.5)
Evan: Having Ohio State quarterback commit Air Noland this low feels criminal because he had a fantastic outing. Noland was one of our three top performers on day one and continued to stand out. The one consistent question mark in his high school career has been the deep ball, but he delivered a slew of impressive throws on the same post-corner sequence.
10. Hauss Hejny (47.3)
Brandon: The TCU commit has shined as one of the surprise performers in the camp over two days. The impressive early returns continued on day two as he made 11 ‘on-the-money’ throws throughout the evening. He started out hot by nailing the short, routine throws which opened the 20-throw Pro Day, consisting of a slant, two curls and a swing pass out of the backfield. After ups and down in the middle portion of the workout, he reheated up on his last four throws. He produced excellent balls tosses down the seam, a bang eight into the end zone and a high-placement ball into the back of the end zone to cap off his admirable outing.
11. Ryan Puglisi (47)
Evan: Georgia quarterback commit Ryan Puglisi has been one of the best stories of the Elite 11. He has remained steadfast in his commitment to the University of Georgia even though five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola committed to Georgia. Puglisi came out to Los Angeles with a lot of buzz and has delivered. He was taking dry reps behind the event, mirroring those in front of him. As a result, he had some of the best touch on the crossing routes.
Other Participants
- 12. Trever Jackson (46.5)
- 13. Colin Hurley (46.5)
- 14. Will Hammond (46)
- 15. Danny O'Neil (45.3)
- 16. Elijah Brown (44.8)
- 17. Daniel Kaelin (44)
- 18. Michael Hawkins (44)
- 19. Jadyn Davis (43.5)
- 20. Luke Kromenhoek (37.8)
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