Elite 11: Stidham Taking Over

By Jeremy Birmingham on July 7, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Texas Tech commitment Jarrett Stidham
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After one full day of competition here at the Elite 11 Finals in Beaverton, Oregon, the coaches responsible for the development and ranking of the participants had their initial list. Texas Tech commitment Jarrett Stidham, from Stephenville, Texas, found himself at the top of the list.

Today, during a shortened session, Stidham did nothing to jeopardize his standing. Firing on all cylinders during the seven-on-seven style drills, Stidham was sharp, decisive and accurate, earning a lot of praise from camp director Trent Dilfer along the way. The nation's second-ranked "dual threat" quarterback performed with poise and confidence and is now in an excellent position to win the coveted "Golden Gun," given to the camp's top overall performer.

Stidham was not alone today when it came to excellent performances, however. Many of the players that stood out today came back with guns blazing and out to prove that they are the top signal-caller in attendance.

After excellent performances on day one, Alabama commit Blake Barnett and UCLA pledge Josh Rosen continued their steady play this morning. Both California quarterbacks stood out once again during seven-on-seven drills. 

 My personal favorite quarterback on Sunday, Brandon Wimbush, was listed at number seven on the first day rankings, and the Penn State commitment was excellent again today. Wimbush, along with uncommitted Floridian Deondre Francois, could have the strongest arm in the competition. Each of them have been impressive during the first three sessions, but they struggle when it comes to taking a bit "off" and needing to make a touch throw.

As with Sunday night's finale, USC commit Ricky Town and Arizona State commit Brady White had standout performances today as well. White may not be the most physical imposing guy on the field, but he's continually thrown the ball well, putting it where it can be caught and is able to make all the throws.

Town, as he gets into the rhythm of the camp, could be pulling away from the others just as a matter of raw ability. There's no doubt that he's got all the tools to be a highly successful college quarterback, and he's a consensus five-star talent because of it, but he'll need to learn to make the "safe" throw occasionally. He's got a tendency to try and force things and it cost him a bit in today's drills with a few near interceptions.

I'll have photos of today's session online soon, so check back often.

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