Elite 11 Finals: How the MVPs of the last decade have fared at the college, pro levels
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The Elite 11 Finals is the nation’s premier quarterback event, hands down.
Twenty of the nation’s top passers descend on Los Angeles for three days of skill work, pro-day style workouts, coaching and 7-on-7-competition. As we lined out on Wednesday, it has featured dozens of big-time QBs at the high school level who have gone on to major college and NFL success.
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But as Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power points out, it’s also not a perfect predictor of who ultimately are the best quarterbacks in a given class. And the MVP award, handed out based on a comprehensive review of all three days at the event, also doesn’t always correlate to future success.
The past decade is a good example of that. A handful of Elite 11 MVPs have gone onto major accolades — both in college and in the NFL. But others have struggled to the hype that surrounded them as high schoolers. A few are still too early in their career to make a determination.
With the event beginning in earnest on Friday evening, Rivals takes a look back at the past ten Elite 11 MVPs:
2025: Dia Bell
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 16 (#4 QB)
School: Texas
College Stats: N/A
The son of former NBA player Raja Bell, Dia had a standout career at American Heritage (Fla.) but was limited significantly by injuries. He signed with the Longhorns as the prized piece of their 2026 class, and is expected to compete for the starting job next season after Arch Manning leaves for the NFL Draft.
2024: Keelon Russell
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 2 (#2 QB)
School: Alabama
College Stats: 11/15 (73.3% CMP), 143 yards, 2 TDs
Russell skyrocketed up the rankings after a huge offseason between his junior and senior year at Duncanville High, capped off by winning the Elite 11 MVP. He signed with the Crimson Tide despite some late efforts to flip him, and served as one of multiple backups behind Ty Simpson last season. He’s now locked in a battle for the starting job with former Washington transfer Austin Mack that could go all the way until fall camp.
2023: Julian Sayin
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 8 (#2 QB)
Schools: Alabama, Ohio State
College Stats: 306/403 (75.9% CMP), 3,694 yards, 33 TDs
Originally an Alabama signee, Sayin left via the transfer portal when Nick Saban announced his retirement. It didn’t take him long to find a new home with the Buckeyes, where he redshirted as a true freshman behind Will Howard. Sayin got the starting nod heading into last season, and after a rough opening game against Texas, he was one of the country’s best QBs the rest of the season. He finished fourth in the Heisman voting and is one of the favorites heading into this season along with Notre Dame star CJ Carr.
2022: Jackson Arnold
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 8 (#4 QB)
Schools: Oklahoma, Auburn, UNLV
College Stats: 334/530 (63% CMP), 3,293 yards, 22 TDs
Arnold is as physically gifted of a quarterback as we’ve seen in some time, and he was a monster as a junior and senior at the high school level playing for Denton Guyer (Texas). He showed promising flashes as a true freshman in 2023 behind starter Dillon Gabriel at Oklahoma, and ultimately won the job in 2024 while Gabriel transferred to Oregon. His lone season as a starter in Norman was marked by a rash of injuries along the offensive line and receiver group, and Arnold himself missed time as well. He struggled mightily with his confidence, despite only throwing 3 interceptions across 10 games.
In the offseason, Oklahoma brought in Washington State transfer John Mateer and his offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Arnold opted to transfer to Auburn, where he had another up-and-down season under Hugh Freeze. Now at his third school in four years, he’s hoping to make a career renaissance with Dan Mullen and the Runnin’ Rebels.
2021: Cade Klubnik
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 18 (#1 QB)
School: Clemson
College Stats: 916/1432 (64% CMP), 10,123 yards, 73 TDs
Klubnik was a mega-star at Austin powerhouse Westlake, drawing offers from across the country. He chose Dabo Swinney and Co., hoping to take a path similar to that of Trevor Lawrence. As a true freshman, he split time with embattled starter DJ Uiagalelei, appearing in 10 games. He got the nod as a full-time starter as a sophomore, and as a junior, he threw for 36 touchdowns and more than 3,600 yards to lead the Tigers to the College Football Playoff. Instead of entering the NFL Draft as an expected early-round pick, he returned to Clemson and had a very up-and-down senior season. He was taken in the fourth round by the New York Jets, where he’ll likely spend his rookie season as QB2.
2020: Caleb Williams
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 7 (#2 QB)
Schools: Oklahoma, USC
College Stats: 735/1099 (66.9% CMP), 10,082 yards, 93 touchdowns
A quarterback prodigy dating back to his early high school years, Williams was one of the most polished passers in recent memory at the prep level. He signed with Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma out of high school, the latest in a string of talented QBs to flock to the Sooners during his tenure. Williams replaced incumbent starter and former five-star Spencer Rattler midway through the 2021 season, effectively ending the latter’s career in Norman. That offseason, Riley left for USC and took Williams with him out to Los Angeles.
In his first year with the Trojans, Williams won the Heisman, Maxwell and Walter Camp trophies while earning All-American honors. Because of the NFL’s three-year eligibility rule, he was required to return in 2023 despite being the likely No. 1 overall pick. He and the Trojans struggled to an 8-5 record, but Williams still threw for over 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns and was taken No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears.
2019: C.J. Stroud
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 39 (#3 QB)
School: Ohio State
College Stats: 575/830 (69.3% CMP), 8,123 yards, 85 TDs
The only non-five star on the list, Stroud was highly sought-after but considered to be a step below both DJ Uiagalelei and Bryce Young. He proved he more than belonged at the Elite 11 Finals, beating out Young for MVP honors. After signing with the Buckeyes and redshirting as a true freshman, he broke onto the scene in 2021 by throwing for more than 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns — finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Stroud came back as a junior to throw for 41 more scores and finished third in the Heisman race behind Caleb Williams and TCU’s Max Duggan. Houston took him No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has developing into one of the league’s best young quarterbacks.
2018: Spencer Rattler
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 15 (#1 QB)
Schools: Oklahoma, South Carolina
College Stats: 900/1313 (68.5% CMP), 10,807 yards, 77 TDs
“The Rattler” was a polarizing high school prospect, not so much because of his play, but because of his attitude. He rose to notoriety for his success on the field and his appearance in the sports documentary QB1: Beyond the Lights. Never short on confidence, he signed with Lincoln Riley and the Sooners, where he redshirted as a true freshman. He broke out the next season, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns and squarely putting himself in the conversation as a top-10 pick in the next year’s draft. He was replaced by the aforementioned Williams midway through his redshirt sophomore season, though. With the advent of the NCAA Transfer Portal, he took advantage and moved on to South Carolina. Rattler was a hit-or-miss over two seasons with the Gamecocks, showcasing his immense talent in glimpses. The New Orleans Saints drafted him in the fifth round in 2024. He has started 14 games over the past two years, but is just 1-13.
2017: Justin Fields
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 2 (#2 QB)
Schools: Georgia, Ohio State
College Stats: 423/618 (68.4% CMP), 5,701 yards, 67 TDs, 9 INT
Forever linked to fellow Georgia five-star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, both Fields and his Peach State counterpart were considered generational-type QB prospects out of high school. While Lawrence went to Clemson, Fields signed with the in-state Bulldogs. He only spent one season in Athens backing up Jake Fromm before transferring to Ohio State. Fields was surprisingly granted a waiver in the pre-transfer portal era and suited up for the Buckeyes the next season. He had a huge sophomore season in 2019, throwing for 41 touchdowns and finishing third in the Heisman voting behind Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts.
He came back for his junior season but only appeared in eight games due to injury — and still finished No. 7 in the Heisman race that Lawrence ultimately won. Fields was taken No. 11 overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2020 draft, but will be playing with his fourth team since then when he suits up as the Chiefs’ backup this year.
2016: Tua Tagovailoa
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 32 (#3 QB)
School: Alabama
College Stats: 474/684 (69.3% CMP), 7,442 yards, 87 TDs
Tagovaiola took the world by storm when he replaced Jalen Hurts in the 2018 national championship game as a true freshman, leading Alabama back from a 13-0 deficit to beat rival Georgia. Prior to that though, he was a sought-after southpaw from Hawai’i with dozens of Power 4 offers. He signed with the Crimson Tide, backing up Hurts for most of his true freshman season. He won the starting job as a sophomore over Hurts, and threw for more than 3,900 yards and 43 touchdowns to finish second for the Heisman behind Kyler Murray. He, too, struggled with injuries as a junior and only appeared in nine games but still threw 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Miami selected him No. 5 overall in the 2019 Draft, and he was a starter for the Dolphins before concussions and injuries forced the team to release him in March.
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