Ohio State QB commit Air Noland invited to Elite 11 Finals
Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes four-star quarterback and Ohio State commit Air Noland has received an invitation to the 2023 Elite 11 Finals. He earned it after his performance at today’s Elite 11 Regional in Atlanta, Georgia.
Noland is the No. 55 overall prospect and No. 6 quarterback in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 8 player in Georgia.
On3 rates Noland higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2024 On300, Noland is the No. 42 overall prospect in the country, the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 6 player in Georgia.
“I’m very blessed and very happy,” Noland told On3’s Jeremy Johnson. “This is a dream come true. It’s something I’ve wanted to accomplish since I was a little kid so it’s very exciting.”
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound signal-caller is the latest quarterback to make the cut for the Elite 11’s showcase event in California.
Others include Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle Five-Star Plus+ Dylan Raiola, Carlsbad (Calif.) five-star Julian Sayin (Alabama commit), Saline (Mich.) four-star CJ Carr (Notre Dame commit), Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School four-star Luke Kromenhoek (Florida State commit), Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian Academy four-star 4-star Colin Hurley (LSU commit) and Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange three-star Trever Jackson.
One of the highest honors for a high school quarterback is being invited to the Elite 11 Finals. The event, which will celebrate its 24rd year in 2023, brings together the country’s elite signal-callers for three days of competition and training in Los Angeles.
Elite 11 alumni include Carson Palmer, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, and more recently Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and more. Last year’s Elite 11 Finals featured more than a dozen of the top 20 quarterbacks in the final On3 Industry Rankings, including three of the top five players at the position.
Noland gives Ohio State its quarterback of the future
Noland announced his pledge to the Buckeyes on April 8. He chose Ohio State over Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Texas A&M, Miami and Oregon.
“It felt like home,” Noland told On3’s Jeremy Johnson. “It felt like I needed to be.”
Ohio State extended an offer to Noland on March 31 during his lone visit to Columbus. While it was one of his last offers, that visit showed Noland everything he needed to see.
“They stood at the top of my list once I saw how serious they were about me and serious they were recruiting me before they even offered me,” Noland said. “Coming in, I kind of expected the offer. It was more about if Ohio State was the perfect fit for me. They showed me all aspects of why they were the perfect fit for me.”
Head coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Corey Dennis and wide receiver coach Brian Hartline made the push for Noland during the visit.
“That’s a three-headed snake at Ohio State,” Noland added.