LSU 4-star QB commit Peyton Houston lands invite to Elite 11 Finals

The 2026 Elite 11 regional circuit is well underway and the coveted quarterback event made its fifth stop on Saturday. Multiple top passers made their way to New Orleans to compete for an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals.

The first invite out of The Big Easy went to Cotton Valley (La.) Evangel Christian Academy four-star Peyton Houston after a big-time performance at the New Orleans Saints training facility.

He becomes the fifth QB to land an invite to the event, joining the following: four-star Brady Edmunds (Ohio State commit), three-star Braylen Warren (Missouri), four-star Kharim Hughley (Clemson) and four-star Trae Taylor (Nebraska).

Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School five-star Elijah Haven also landed an invite, marking the first time an Elite 11 regional has led to two invites this year.

There are few higher honors for high school quarterbacks than being invited to the event, which will celebrate its 27th year in 2026. It brings together 20 of the country’s elite signal-callers for three days of competition and training in Los Angeles during the month of June.

Elite 11 alumni include college and NFL stars like Carson Palmer, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, and more recently Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young. Last year’s Elite 11 Finals featured 16 of the top 25 quarterbacks in the Rivals Industry Rankings, including five of the top six players at the position.

Houston is now coming off back-to-back big seasons at Evangel Christian Academy. Last season, he threw for 3,836 yards and 42 touchdowns to nine interceptions, per MaxPreps. He also rushed for over 900 yards and 12 scores.

He led the Eagles to 10 wins one year after throwing for over 4,400 yards and 38 TDs as a sophomore. In 2025, ECA finished as the No. 16 team in The Boot, per the Rivals Composite Rankings.

Houston is the No. 99 overall prospect and No. 7 QB in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 5 player in Louisiana.

The in-state LSU Tigers landed Houston’s commitment back in September. He remains locked in despite the coaching staff shakeup in Baton Rouge.

“I did not have second thoughts about my decision because I know who Lane Kiffin is,” Houston told Rivals’ Chad Simmons in January. “It’s hard to not want to play for a coach like that. Lane Kiffin is a great coach. The guys that he has around him are great coaches too. Knowing that, knowing that God has put him in this situation and with me already being committed and coach Kiffin previously giving me my second-ever offer, it’s a blessing. I can’t imagine a better situation.”