A look back at the Elite 11

The elite 11 is now ten years old and the members of the 2005 class are now 4 years removed from high school so you can get a good look at just what happened to that class.

For those that don’t remember the 12 QBs that attended the 2005 camp were:

Neil Caudle – competing for the starting job at Auburn
Pat Devlin – transferred out of PSU
Zach Frazer – transferred out of ND
Josh Freeman – 17th pick by Tampa Bay Bucs
Cody Hawkins – poised to start for a third straight season at CU
Jake Locker – will return to starting role at UW
Mitch Mustain – transferred from Arky to USC
Kevin Riley – starter at Cal, Phil Steele considers him a Heisman candidate
Jevan Snead – transferred from UT to Ole Miss
Matt Stafford - #1 pick in NFL draft Detroit Lions
Tim Tebow – 2 titles, 1 Heisman, looking for 1 more of each
Juice Williams – 4 year starter at Illinois




It’s pretty interesting to look at what happens to elite HS QBs. Of the 4 transfers only 1 has gone on to be a known name that looks like a top NFL pick. Three others took redshirts their freshman years and are now starters but 2 of them are on pretty awful teams. There were 2 QBs who went on to start as Freshman, one of them ended up the #1 pick and the other plays for Ron Zook. Then there is Josh Freeman who is freakish athletically but never did anything of note in college and still got drafted in the Top 20.

Clearly, the headliner of that group is Tim Tebow, who played a major role for the Gators 2006 Championship team as a Freshman, won the Heisman as a Soph and then won another MNC as a Junior full time starter. If he somehow pulls off another Heisman and another MNC he will easily go down as the most accomplished of the Elite 11 QBs as he has already put himself ahead of the 2005 class the way Usain Bolt pulls away from the field in the 200m.

But not only is Tebow the best of his class, he might be the best of any class. The elite 11 began in 1999 with a class that included Brock Berlin, Casey Clausen, Matt Cassell and Chris Rix. Since then the program has hosted Gator QBs Ingle Martin, Gavin Dickey, Chris Leak, Justin Midget, Cornelius Ingram and most recently John Brantley. As well as some very notable names in the world of college football: Matt Leinart, Vince Young, Troy Smith, JaMarcus Russell, John David Booty, Mark Sanchez, Chase Daniel, and Tyrod Taylor.

Out of the entire list of Elite 11 QBs you get the feeling that it is as likely for these guys to become complete non-factors as it is for them to compete for championships. Still, the odds are better when you have an Elite 11 QB. Elite 11 QBs have accounted for 3 Heisman trophies in the past 10 years and 4 National Titles with 6 BCSCG appearances (Its actually more if you count Ingram and Brantley, which I am not). And many of the others have not been slouches either, winning conference titles and excelling at new positions. It is clear that the Elite 11 brings in a very talented group but it is not a guarantee for success.

It is however a very good gauge for which programs are the best. Looking at the list the most represented programs are also considered to be the tops of CFB. USC with 5 and UF with 7 seem to be bringing in one every other year and sometimes more. It is these top tier programs that consistently recruit at the highest level that will be competing for titles year in and year out.

Go Recruit Elite

Go Gators

Thanks to Leaf for this peice