REDONDO BEACH, Calif.—What most scouts consider to be the toughest and most telling day of the Elite 11 Finals quarterback competition took place on Wednesday. All 20 passers, and college counselors alike, took to a sampled NFL pro day-styled script.
Each competitor had to mark the same 20 throws, in the same exact order, one after another well into the night. It was quite revealing relative to the first impression the group provided in the traditional camp setting.
Sports Illustrated graded the passers on individual throws on a scale of 1-3, with a score of "1" representing an off-target throw, a score of "2" representing a catchable ball and a score of "3" representing a money throw in stride and on time. Money throws serve as the tiebreaker.
You can find our rankings from the second day of camp and short summaries of the top-10 performances below.
Day 2 Elite 11 Rankings
T-1. JJ Kohl - Committed to Iowa State
Score: 54
Money throws: 15
The Iowa State commitment had a top-five Day 1 effort and looked even better on Wednesday evening, working especially well with third-level throws and those on the run. For such a big athlete, listed at 6-foot-6, it impresses onlookers when he gets out into his full stride before squaring up and delivering a strike. Kohl was especially on time with early throws and connected on "money" throws on eight of his first nine attempts.
"Today I really tried to control my mind after every throw," Kohl told SI. "No matter if the previous throw was good or bad, for me it was always about the next throw."
T-1. Dante Moore - Undeclared
Score: 54
Money throws: 15
Moore's consistent throwing motion, footwork and velocity combined for one of the best all-around performances from the pro day, backing up a top-ranked effort the day prior. Moore’s ability to throw line drives and also throw over the top and drop a pass in the bread basket was also impressive. Lastly, he threw well on the run to help build his overall score and establish himself as the favorite to capture the MVP crown through Thursday's workouts.
3. Emory Williams - Miami
Score: 53
Money throws: 14
Williams excelled at both the short and intermediate throws. In fact, he was arguably the most consistent from those two categories. His footwork improved from Day 1 to Day 2, and it helped him throw to areas of the field with even better timing and rhythm. Williams is charging up the rankings for Elite 11, completing nearly as many "money" throws as the top two competitors of the evening.
4. Austin Novosad - Baylor
Score: 52
Money throws: 12
Novosad stayed consistent on Day 2, using his strengths to his advantage in the pro day. His accuracy was on point on short and intermediate throws, and his deep ball was nearly as good. He did not win the pro day challenge by SI’s tally, but he was right on the edge of the leaders. His back-to-back consistent performances will have Novosad in solid position to contend to win the entire event on Day 3.
5. Jaxon Smolik - Tulane
Score: 51
Money throws: 12
A major underdog coming into the event, the Tulane commit made waves during his pro day workout, particularly on his first seven throws, each of which garnered a perfect score. His accuracy was solid and his arm strength was there, with third-level velocity evident as the script wore on. He may be a bit too far behind after Day 1 to catch up for Day 3, but his pro day was on par with the best of the best on Wednesday.
6. Malachi Singleton - Arkansas
Score: 50
Money throws: 13
The Arkansas commitment connected on short throws with ease. Singleton placed the football on time when throwing to the sidelines, particularly to his right side. The biggest difference Wednesday compared to the opening workout on Tuesday was Singleton’s ability to follow through and complete his motion more often. It resulted in snap accuracy early in the script itself.
T-7. Kenny Minchey - Pittsburgh
Score: 50
Money throws: 12
The Pitt commitment does it without the flash and raw torque some of his peers possess in this field, but the Tennessee native has been efficient, accurate and on time all week long. By the Elite 11 staff’s grading formula, Minchey actually finished the night with their highest grade—impressive considering he was among the first to compete. Minchey was near the top for SI as well, showcasing balance, strong footwork and a rhythm that others in the field could not contend with.
T-7. Jaden Rashada - Miami
Score: 50
Money throws: 12
It was a bounce-back workout for the new Miami commitment, who threw some of the most on-point third-level balls compared to his peers. Rashada got hot and had things working in his favor toward the middle of the session, especially with the 7-cut routes along the sidelines and a few while on the move. The arm talent is there and when he’s on, few look cleaner in delivering the ball mechanically or efficiently like the California native can.
T-7. Malachi Nelson - USC
Score: 50
Money throws: 12
Another strong effort from the local star featured a clean rhythm throughout the workout, getting hot right at the end of the workout. Nelson wrapped up with four "money" throws over his final five attempts, including on some of the more difficult passes like the rail shot and the 20th and final pass, a back-of-the-end zone winner over an out-stretched defender represented by an oversized dummy. The calm and confidence Nelson shows in this setting is also consistent.
10. Avery Johnson - Undeclared
Score: 50
Money throws: 11
After an inconsistent Day 1, Johnson bounced back in a big way on Day 2 and turned a lot of heads during the pro day challenge. He again performed as well as anyone else on the run and hit a good amount of money throws, particularly on the rail shot near the end of the workout. If Johnson can carry this momentum into Day 3, he could challenge for a top 10 spot.
11. Rickie Collins - Purdue
Score: 50
Money throws: 11
12. Eli Holstein - Alabama
Score: 48
Money throws: 13
T-13. Jackson Arnold - Oklahoma
Score: 48
Money throws: 11
T-13. Chris Vizzina - Clemson
Score: 48
Money throws: 11
15. Brock Glenn - Undeclared
Score: 46
Money throws: 10
16. Chris Parson - Florida State
Score: 46
Money throws: 9
17. Zane Flores - Oklahoma State
Score: 45
Money throws: 9
18. Brody Drogosh - Cincinnati
Score: 44
Money throws: 9
19. Marcus Stokes - Penn State
Score: 44
Money throws: 7
20. Pierce Clarkson - Louisville
Score: 43
Money throws: 8
FanNation's Zach Goodall, Matt Galatzan and Brian Smith contributed to this report.
