Tag: Elite 11

Report: Jon Kitna’s son Jamison Kitna has visited Indiana twice

Jamison Kitna, son of former NFL player Jon Kitna, has reportedly been playing well at the Elite 11 Regionals and visited Indiana twice.

With Jamison Kitna’s heritage, there’s no surprise that the Lakota East (Butler County, Ohio) quarterback is emerging as a Division I quarterback recruit receiving buzz from multiple universities.

The son of former NFL quarterback and current high school coach Jon Kitna has visited Indiana twice, according to 247Sports. The junior spoke with the recruiting outlet at the Elite 11 Regional.

In addition to Indiana, Kitna is getting buzz from Liberty and UAB, the latter of which has “seen [him] plenty of times now,” Kitna said.

The outlet wrote that the three-star quarterback has impressed during this Elite 11 camp, serving as “one of the bigger surprises” after he struggled at the event last year. Reporter Allen Trieu reported he had the second-best testing rating on Sunday. Kitna’s junior year was hampered due to a fractured ankle, but he is healthy ahead of finishing the school year and prepping for his senior season.

Kitna is listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. He is ranked as the No. 64 quarterback overall on the 247Sports Composite, but recruiters and analysts will get a better look at him this year as he has had minimal time at the varsity helm.

According to MaxPreps, during his sophomore season at Burleson High School in Texas, Kitna passed for 1,958 yards at a 56.2% clip with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He shifted to Lakota East alongside his father, who had been the head coach and athletic coordinator at Burleson before getting hired as the head coach and dean of student athletics at Lakota East in 2023.

The elder Kitna, who retired from the NFL after 14 seasons (and one with the Barcelona Dragons), has been head coach of multiple high schools including his alma mater and wasΒ the offensive coordinator for the Alliance of American Football’s San Diego Fleet.

Notre Dame QB commit Deuce Knight gets invite to prestigious camp

The Irish have a great quarterback in their 2025 class

For any high school quarterback, an invitation to the Elite 11 camp shows that you are one of the best in the country.

You can add Notre Dame football commit [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] to that list, as on Sunday it was announced that the 6-foot, 5-inch and 195-pound lefty from Mississippi will be attending the camp.

Numerous alumni have gone on to have success at the next level and beyond, so it’s a very good sign that the Irish commit will be competing with the best in the country. Knight’s recruiting ranking backs up the invitation, as he’s ranked as the No. 6 quarterback and 67th overall prospect nationally according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The competition will be intense, and we fully expect Knight to put on a show during the camp.

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Penn State commit Ethan Grunkemeyer shines in first senior season game

Penn State QB commit Ethan Grunkemeyer was on fire in his senior season opener.

Penn State may have landed a gem in the 2024 class with their quarterback commit [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag].

He went into the summer as a three-star recruit and came out of it as one of the biggest risers, resulting in a bump to four-star status. This came on the heels of great performances at the Elite 11 quarterback camp that saw him make it to the finals in Los Angeles.

Grunkemeyer is now the 13th overall quarterback in the class according to On3’s industry rankings.

Heading into his senior year of high school football, many of the scouts wanted to see if the 6’2″ 190 pound quarterback could keep his momentum going through the season and prove why he was such a big riser.

Lewis Center High School started their season on Friday and it didn’t take long for Grunkemeyer to show off his skill set.

He finished the game completing 24-of-34 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns. He also showed off his legs, rushing for 80 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

When it comes to the evaluation of Grunkemeyer during his senior season, On3’s Director of Scouting, Charles Power, told BlueWhiteIllustrated, “He’s not playing for a powerhouse high school. Some of the guys we’re comparing him to are surrounded by Power Five talent. He’s not. That’s another thing that’s important to understand when it comes to how he plays on Friday nights.”

There’s a possibility that if the Penn State commit continues to shine for his high school that he could continue his ascension.

Power also said, “Now, I also think he needs to continue to play better as a senior. You want to see the progression as a senior on Friday nights, but that’s also baked into his ranking. I think if he comes out and plays really well, he could go up.”

It was a great start to the season for Grunkemeyer who is riding one of the best performances of the summer by any prospect.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Penn State TE commit Luke Reynolds wins ALL22 MVP

Future Penn State tight end took MVP honors at the ALL22 event

It was a great week for 2024 Penn State commits at last week’s Elite 11 and ALL22 camp in Los Angeles. [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] turned heads last week with his exceptional performance at the Elite 11 Finals.

Penn State tight end commit [autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag] put in a great performance of his own alongside all the top quarterback prospects in the ALL22 event that features top offensive skill positions prospects and defensive players.

Reynolds walked away as the MVP of the tight end position group following the Elite 11 Finals that took place last week. It’s a big honor for Reynolds who came into the showcase rated as a three-star prospect. He left the week showing that he could become a special talent.

On3’s director of scouting and rankings Charles Power said after the event, “[He] deserves a tip of the cap for his work on Thursday night. [He] ran a seemingly endless number of routes for the quarterbacks. Reynolds is a top athlete in the combine setting, but showed that twitch can transfer over to the field. The burst, change of direction and ability to finish catches stood out.”

There were rumors that Reynolds’ stock could be on the rise throughout the summer. He was bumped up in On3’s industry ratings to a four-star prospect after the ALL22 event where he is ranked 298th nationally and is the 17th overall tight end.

On3 themselves still have Reynolds rated as a three-star prospect.

Regardless, it was a great showing for the Penn State commit who showed how good he can be on a national setting. The Nittany Lions have developed tight ends that come through the program and should be looking forward to working with Reynolds who flashed a high ceiling of potential.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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High praise for Ethan Grunkemeyer after his Elite 11 showing

Future Penn State QB Ethan Grunkemeyer received some good praise following his Elite 11 showing

[autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] had a fantastic run at the Elite 11 Finals last week. He turned the heads of scouts, recruiting services and the evaluators at the Elite 11 showcase.

Coming into the event, Grunkemeyer was the lowest rated quarterback of the 20 finalists. He seemingly was a longshot to make the final cut as the top 11 or 12 quarterbacks at the event. However, the three-star prospect ended the three day event showing that he can compete with the best quarterback prospects in the country.

Charles Power of On3 highlighted that this was a big opportunity for Grunkemeyer to showcase his abilities on a big stage and move his stock up heading into his senior season.

Before the event, Power said, “Grunkemeyer’s a guy who, for us in terms of the rankings, he’s an 89 right now. He’s in that next tier of guys who are on the cusp of being a four-star. So we’ll be kind of looking to see how he stacks up with the guys who are four stars currently.”

It’s safe to say that Grunkemeyer impressed with his performances, being named to the top 12 of the event and was the number three overall performer according to Power.

The only two quarterbacks who ranked above Grunkemeyer at the Elite 11 event were five-star Alabama commit Julian Sayin who won the MVP award and five-star Georgia commit Dylan Raiola.

The “Best Mechanics Award” given out by Power went to Grunkemeyer. Power was impressed by how “smooth and natural” of a passer he is and that “the ball jumps out of his hand.”

It was a big event for Penn State too. With all the hype surrounding quarterback Drew Allar heading into the season, it’s always promising that the next batch of prospects coming in are holding their own against the top talents in the country.

Overall, it was an impressive week for Grunkemeyer whose strong showing should have him moving up in the national recruiting rankings.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Jadyn Davis makes the cut in the Elite 11 Finals

The #Michigan pledge is officially ELITE! #GoBlue

It was a good first day, a rocky second day and an elite third day for Michigan football five-star quarterback commit Jaydn Davis.

The Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day signal-caller was in danger of getting outdueled by some of his competition in Redondo Beach, California, for the Elite 11 Finals, but he surged late. On Day 1, he was the 11th-ranked quarterback, he didn’t make the top 11 on Day 2. He tied for first on Day 3, when the QBs faced live defenses.

While Alabama pledge Julian Sayin was crowned MVP, Davis’ surge allowed him to be named in the top group on Saturday.

It’s good for those in Ann Arbor that Davis made the cut, especially given that the Wolverines didn’t heavily pursue CJ Carr, Lloyd Carr’s grandson, who committed to Notre Dame, while Air Noland, the Ohio State commit, also made the cut.

The next step for Davis is to outduel some of those contemporaries when he gets to college.

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Where Ohio State commit Air Noland was ranked after Elite 11 finals

Noland didn’t disappoint #GoBucks

The most prestigious quarterback camp in the county, the Elite 11, just finished, and [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] 2024 quarterback commit, [autotag]Air Noland,[/autotag] didn’t disappoint.

The left-handed Georgian was very consistent with his performance, consistently good. The 6-foot, 3-inch, 195-pound Buckeye commit battled against some of the best quarterbacks in the country and held his own.

Noland entered the camp as the No. 5 quarterback in the country and 37th overall player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Since he’s already one of the best players in the nation, it’s much more difficult for him to rise up the rankings but after his performance this week, that might change.

Find out below where 247Sports, On3, and Elite 11 ranked Noland after the completion of the camp.

Penn State commit Grunkemeyer was solid at Elite 11 finals

Penn State QB commit Ethan Grunkemeyer draws rave reviews at Elite 11 Finals.

After being named one of the top performers on the first day of the Elite 11 Finals, Penn State quarterback commitment [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] continued to shine in the exclusive high-performance football skills camp this week. Other quarterbacks put on some impressive displays, as was to be expected, but this future Penn State quarterback proved he belonged on the same playing field as some of the nation’s best and strengthened the case for the idea that Penn State may have found a hidden gem in the Class of 2024 quarterback class.

Grunkemeyer finished up his time at the Elite 11 by completing eight of 17 pass attempts with two touchdowns in the 7-on-7 portion of the event, the true highlight of the event as things come to a close in California.

“Grunkemeyer was another under-the-radar name that popped all three days,” 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins wrote in a recap of the event in California. “He’s able to create plenty of power through his torso and is able to rip the ball to the second level with ease. The deep ball might not have been there for Grunkemeyer on Thursday, but it was Friday as he fired right into the teeth of the defense multiple times.”

Grunkemeyer ranked seventh in the 247Sports rankings from the Elite 11 finals but was notably higher in a roundup published by Charles Power of On3.

“Ethan Grunkemeyer was perhaps the most pleasant surprise at the Elite 11 Finals,” Power said of the Penn State commit’s performance this week. “The Penn State pledge flashed arguably the most explosive arm action at the event.”

After a stellar debut at the Elite 11 on the first day, and with a continued solid showing throughout the rest of the event, the stock for Grunkemeyer is certainly about to go to the moon form the recruiting services. Grunkemeyer is a consensus three-star recruit according to the most recently updated recruiting rankings from 247Sports, On3, and Rivals. ESPN actually has a four-star rating for Grunkemeyer, but ESPN’s four-star ranking isn’t likely to stand alone for too much longer. It will be interesting to see if a fourth star is added on the more traditional recruiting services when ratings are updated.

It can be easy to get overzealous with developments like these, but it may be an encouraging sign that Penn State’s quarterback situation will continue to look promising in the years to come. Drew Allar, a former Elite 11 finalist himself, is about to begin his tenure as Penn State’s starting quarterback this fall. The sophomore is likely to get two full years of starting experience, if not three. Whatever the case may be, perhaps the torch will be ready to be passed on to Grunkemeyer?

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Five-star Alabama commit Julian Sayin wins Elite 11 MVP

Julian Sayin wins Elite 11 MVP!

Five-star Alabama football quarterback commit [autotag]Julian Sayin[/autotag] has won the 2023 Elite 11 MVP. The Elite 11 is an annual quarterback competition that features the top gun-slingers from across the country.

Sayin was considered one of the favorites heading into the competition along with fellow five-star Dylan Raiola who is currently committed to the Georgia Bulldogs.

The last Alabama quarterback to win the Elite 11 MVP was in 2016 when the legendary Tua Tagovailoa took home the hardware.

Sayin has been committed to Alabama since November of 2022 and it appears his verbal is rock-solid with [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Crimson Tide.

The Elite 11s Twitter account broke the news on Friday afternoon!

Congratulations to the future Alabama star!

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Watch: Georgia QB commits Dylan Raiola, Ryan Puglisi compete at Elite 11 Finals

Dylan Raiola, Ryan Puglisi representing Georgia at Elite 11

Georgia football holds pledges from two of the top quarterbacks in the country in five-star Dylan Raiola, the nation’s No. 1 recruit and four-star Rylan Puglisi, the No. 11 quarterback, per 247Sports Composite.

Both Raiola and Puglisi are competing this week at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, which features the top passers in the country each year.

The future Bulldogs participated in the ‘Pro Day’ portion of the event on Thursday. Here’s a clip of their workout:

Puglisi was already committed to Georgia when Raiola announced his commitment in May. Despite opportunities elsewhere, Puglisi quickly doubled-down on his pledge to the Bulldogs after the news, β€œI’m a Georgia Bulldog,” Puglisi told Dawgs Daily.

Georgia has an impressive quarterback room already with fourth-year signal caller Carson Beck, along with former five-star recruit Brock Vandagriff and former four-star Gunner Stockton. Adding players like Raiola and Puglisi sets the Dawgs up for years to come.