Elite 11 Finals Outlook: Alabama commit Julian Sayin to vie for No. 1 QB status
Next month, 20 of the top quarterbacks in the Class of 2024 will convene in California for the annual Elite 11 Finals event. Going into its 24th year, the Elite 11 Finals will present these signal callers with an opportunity to compete and train together in Los Angeles. Some of the noteworthy alumni include Andrew Luck, C.J. Stroud, Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, Trevor Lawrence, as well as former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
2023 Elite 11 Finals: Complete quarterback roster
Ahead of this event, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power shared his thoughts on some of the top quarterbacks competing, which features five-star Alabama commit Julian Sayin. He joined Josh Newberg on the On3 Sports YouTube channel this week to give his assessment on Sayin.
“Julian Sayin is a known commodity at this point,” Power told Newberg. “He is super consistent. A guy who is mechanically sound. I think he’s going to look good in every setting you see him in. From a performance perspective, I don’t think there are a lot of questions with Julian Sayin.”
Some of the noteworthy names also competing in Los Angeles alongside Sayin are Five-Star Plus+ prospect Dylan Raiola (Georgia commit), DJ Lagway (Florida commit), Air Noland (Ohio State commit), and others.
“What is going to help us at the Elite 11 is how does he stack from a pure physical, talent and tools perspective within this group?” Power said of Sayin. “He’s around 6-foot-1, 195 [pounds]. Where does the arm stack up? I think that’s something we can kind of glean from the Elite 11. I think probably the most useful perspective for us at this event is an opportunity to compare all these quarterbacks in person in the same neutral setting. That’s what I’m looking forward to with Julian Sayin.
Heading into the Elite 11 Finals, Sayin is the No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 On300, only behind Raiola. When asked if Sayin has a chance to dethrone Raiola for top-ranked quarterback status, Power had the following to say.
“Where he stacks up from a physical and pure arm talent and athletic standpoint within this group will ultimately determine it,” Power said. “I think as far as the player, the accuracy, and the consistency, we know what he is going into at this event.”
Per the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings, Sayin is the highest-ranked commit (No. 14 overall) in Alabama’s 2024 class. He joins Jaylen Mbakwe as the two five-stars in the Crimson Tide’s class. With five other total commitments also in the fold, Bama only trails Ohio State (No. 2) and Georgia (No. 1) in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings.
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Sayin also will likely have plenty of options in college when it comes to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). The On3 NIL Valuation calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future. As of writing this article, Sayin’s On3 NIL Valuation sits at $671,000. That places him at No. 2 overall amongst all high school football players.
Alabama fans, also be sure to join the discussion about Julian Sayin on the Talk of Champions message board. There’s always a lot of great team, recruiting, and off-topic conversations going on. So, we look forward to talking with you all there!
