6/30/22
JJ Kohl named On3 MVP after fantastic showing at Elite 11 Finals
Charles Power•
JJ Kohl erased any doubts of who would earn On3 MVP honors at the Elite 11 Finals with his performance in 7-on-7 on Thursday. The Iowa State commit ended his sterling week with an emphatic showing, going 13 of 16 for six touchdowns and zero interceptions. It’s certainly on the shortlist of most dominant 7-on-7 sessions we’ve seen at the Elite 11 Finals over the years.
Kohl’s high-end physical gifts as a passer were readily evident on Day 1 and Day 2. He showed off arguably the biggest arm among the Elite 11 Finalists along with a nuanced ability to layer his throws with touch and placement. The arm talent transferred seamlessly to the live setting on Thursday. He absolutely carved up the secondary. No other quarterback took more aggressive downfield shots. Kohl had a four throw sequence comprised of three touchdowns and an absolute strike down the seam that nearly went for another score. He has a compact, quick motion and adjusted to the increased speed of play as well as any Finalist. We saw him quickly and naturally read leverage to find open receivers downfield.
There’s no question this was a breakout performance on a national stage for JJ Kohl. We knew the Ankeny (Iowa) High three-sport standout was a high-upside physical talent, but his passing skill set is further along than we could’ve hoped for. Kohl already ranks in the On300, but should be a lock to rise after a dominant week at the Elite 11 Finals.
