Kentucky QB Target Matt Ponatoski Stars in Elite 11 Debut
Kentucky is closing in on one of the top uncommitted quarterback prospects in the country. In a competition between the nation’s best, Matt Ponatoski looks like a star.
The Cincinnati Moeller QB is spending his week out West at the Elite 11 Finals. The camp is where future stars on Sundays show off their best stuff, and on Tuesday, Ponatoski delivered the goods.
Ahead of the event, many evaluators wondered how well the Kentucky target would perform. Unlike seemingly every one of his peers, he did not spend the spring playing football on a 7-on-7 circuit. He was winning Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year in the state of Ohio. Would he look rusty on the gridiron? Absolutely not.
On3’s Charles Power ranked his top performers from day one at the event and Ponatoski was No. 4.
“Matt Ponatoski made a strong case as the most accurate quarterback on Day 1 at the Elite 11 Finals. Few, if any, were more consistent on a throw-to-throw basis on Tuesday evening. Ponatoski delivered well-placed, timely passes all night. The dual sport star made it look easy,” writes Power.
“He showed excellent touch on tight window throws on the goal line. We loved the location of his back shoulder passes. Ponatoski was buttoned up mechanically and showed quick footwork. The physical tools may not overwhelm relative to some others, but the skill and feel were apparent.”
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Why is this such a big deal? In basketball, evaluators get to see the best of the best play against one another at camps and on the EYBL circuit multiple times throughout the course of a year. It’s easy to see how others compare. You don’t get that luxury in football. The Elie 11, Rivals Five-Star Challenge, and the postseason All-American bowls are the only opportunities to see good-on-good. In his first big-time test, Ponatoski is passing.
Kentucky has Momentum in Ponatoski’s Recruitment
Prior to his West Coast trip, Ponatoski made a pit stop in Lexington. The dual-sport previously took a baseball official visit to Kentucky. He didn’t feel the need to double-dip, which made Monday’s visit significant.
Since then, things seem to continue to go UK’s way. Oregon and Alabama were Kentucky’s top competition. Alabama flipped an Iowa State QB commit earlier this week, and the Ducks may do the same thing this weekend when Bryson Beaver visits. Ponatoski will be in Eugene at the same time. Steve Wiltfong caught up with Ponatoski ahead of the trip and the talented quarterback had a lot of nice things to say about the Wildcats.
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