Takeaways from Elite 11 Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Elite 11 regional stop in Louisiana’s capital drew arms from not only the home state, but nearby Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Florida and even Kansas.
Four-star Purdue commitment Rickie Collins Jr. captured MVP honors of the event and was the first invitee to the Elite 11 Finals later this year. Collins headlines a group of talented rising seniors on hand as well as a deep group of soon-to-be sophomores and juniors that are also drawing college interest.
Here’s more from On3 National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman:
Collins is a runaway MVP
The nation’s No. 16-rated passer on the On3 Consensus was a runaway MVP playing in his hometown.
Collins, a three-sport athlete, unsurprisingly tested through the waters. He clocked a 4.74-second 40 with a 4.4-second shuttle and 37-foot power ball toss. Collins also notched a 37.5-inch vertical and earned a 96.84 SPARQ score.
Collins was explosive going through his rollouts and drills and zipped the ball through windy conditions with ease. The Baton Rouge (La.) Woodlawn product was sharp throwing deep and on the run, and delivered strikes over and over throughout the event. Collins was decisive and threw with authority.
As a junior, Collins accounted for more than 2,500 yards of total offense, including 2,000 yards passing. He plays with poise and confidence. He’s not only a talented passer but a well-rounded athlete that opens the playbook for off-schedule plays.
Some 2023s make noise
Three-star Columbus (Miss.) Oxford quarterback Mack Howard was sound throughout the competition. At 6-foot-2 and now 180 pounds, he’s filled out while remaining agile with accuracy as his top attribute. Howard, who is drawing more and more interest from Power 5 schools in and around Mississippi, has good feet and a smooth delivery. He impressed throwing to his left and delivering on touch throws, too.
Three-star Port Neches (Tex.) Groves quarterback Cole Crippen is already rated by On3 and for good reason. The rising senior measures in north of 6-foot-1 and has a natural feel to his game. The East Texas product impressed with his footwork, his composure and his accuracy was on-point from start to finish, and he was equally as good on the move. He has elements of last year’s first-round pick Zach Wilson to his game.
Another Texan that has some good moments was Houston (Tex.) Strake Jesuit passer Bryce Fusik, who was accurate throwing underneath and has a good feel for the short passing game. His athleticism is a big part of his game.
The 2024 class has some big arms
One of the most intriguing passers in all of the 2024 class hails from Mobile (Ala.) Baker in Josh Flowers, who showcased a lot of the throws and traits that make him so coveted by schools all across the SEC.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is smooth delivering the football and can deliver both inside the pocket as well as outside of it. He flashed fantastic accuracy on the move throughout the day in his first go-round in this type of setting. Flowers has a dynamic arm and skill-set to match with upside through the roof.
Local product Daniel Beale out of Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic also impressed in this setting. The state champion-winning quarterback has a cannon and the film to showcase his deep passing game, and showed his ability to move well within the pocket and then deliver. Beale can launch strikes on shorter and intermediate throws. Consistency is will be key along with playing in a run-heavy high school offense.
On the way: 2025 QBs
The 2025 class in this path of the country is shaping up to be a good one as three certainly stood out.
Deuce Knight, a 6-foot-3, 175-pounder out of Lucedale (Miss.) George Country has a big frame and enormous playmaking ability. The southpaw was accurate in spite of rough mechanics and already holds a Big Ten offer. He’s going to attract many more.
Another Mississippi quarterback of note in the 2025 cycle is Emile Picarella out of Madison (Miss.) St. Joseph. At 6-foot-2 and just shy of 200 pounds, Picarella looks the part as well. He has a cannon for a right arm and can spit in; he drew the praise from nearly every counselor or coach in attendance. Picarella has a game that resembles recent Penn State signee Drew Allar to his game — and he’s going to be a sophomore this fall.
Joe Moorehead offered the Mississippi product at his previous stop at Oregon and as soon as he landed at Akron. More schools nationwide will follow suit.
Beaumont (Tex.) Kelly Roy Thomas Jenkins was another freshman that shined in the regional. He has a big frame at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds with great footwork, accuracy on throws all over the field and some wow throws from time to time. He’s got ties to both Texas and the Aggies, and it’s going to be an arm’s race for one of the best young arms in the state from East Texas.
Other news and notes
Class of 2023 quarterback Emory Williams took first in the Golden Gun Accuracy Challenge. Williams had the top mark of 21.
Miami (Fla.) Columbus 2024 quarterback Alberto Mendoza was tops among the underclassmen. He earned a score of 20. In-state 2026 quarterback Owen Smith of Shreveport (La.) Calvary also won his division with 19 points.