Time to Shine for Notre Dame QB Commit Tyler Buchner
It's time to shine for Helix (Calif.) quarterback Tyler Buchner as the Elite 11 kicks off on Monday afternoon in Nashville.
If you're reading this, you probably know who Buchner is and about the mind-blowing numbers he put up in 2019.
But, if you're new here. Let's quickly refresh.
Buchner tore his ACL four plays into the 2018 season, which was supposed to be his first year as the starting quarterback.
2019 was a movie. Buchner completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 4,474 yards and 53 touchdowns while also adding 1,610 rushing yards and another 28 touchdowns.
Yes. That's 6,084 total yards and 81 touchdowns in one football season from one player.
Now, let's get into this week.
Buchner may have put up incredible numbers, but there is always one person in the crowd that will bring up the competition. Yes, Buchner wasn't playing the toughest schedule in the country, but I'm not sure it's easy to put up those numbers against bad teams either.
The Elite 11 provides Buchner the chance to shine on a national level against the top quarterbacks in the country for three days.
As usual, the Elite 11 is stocked with big-time prospects, but there are a few who will enter as favorites to win and yes, Buchner is one of them.
The nation's top-ranked signal-caller will be in attendance as Gonzaga (D.C.) five-star Caleb Williams will be the favorite on paper. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has one of the quickest releases in the country and is as accurate as they come. He'll choose between LSU, Maryland and Oklahoma on July 4th.
Prince Avenue Christian (Ga.) five-star Brock Vandagriff is another name to keep an eye out for this week. The Georiga commit has performed well at camps during the last few years, so this won't be a new experience for the former Oklahoma commit. Much like Buchner, there are some who question the competition he faces in high school, so this will be an opportunity for him to shine.
If Buchner isn't the top quarterback on the West Coast, then you'd have to side with Mater Dei (Calif.) quarterback Miller Moss. The four-star USC commit has a beautiful deep ball and threw for over 3,100 yards and 28 touchdowns last fall.
Ohio State commit Kyle McCord has drawn praise from many, while others have him a tier below the top names in the 2021 class. There is no doubt he has a big arm, but how does he stack up in other areas? He had a 25:1 touchdown to interception ratio in limited work last fall.
UNC commit Drake Maye was once considered the top quarterback in the class, but over the last year, he's dropped in the rankings. The former Alabama commit had a huge fall as he threw for 3,512 yards, 50 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Finally, Michigan commit JJ McCarthy will compete in Nashville after transferring to IMG Academy last month. A one-time Notre Dame fan favorite, McCarthy has one of the best arms in the class and can make every throw on the field. Weight has been his knock, but that won't matter in this competition.
2020 Elite 11 Roster
#1 Jay Allen - John Carroll (Fla.) - Uncommitted
#1 Kyron Drones - Shadow Creek (Texas) - Baylor
#2 JJ McCarthy - IMG Academy - Michigan
#3 Grayson James - John Paul II (Texas) - Uncommitted
#4 Dematrius Davis - North Shore (Texas) - Auburn
#5 Tyler Macon - East St. Louis (Ill.) - Missouri
#6 Kyle McCord - St. Joseph's (Pa.) - Ohio State
#7 Miller Moss - Mater Dei (Calif.) - USC
#7 Kaidon Salter - Cedar Hill (Texas) - Tennessee
#8 Carlos Del Rio-Wilson - Grayson (Ga.) - Florida
#8 Behren Morton - Eastland (Texas) - Texas Tech
#9 Luke Altmyer - Starkville (Miss.) - Florida State
#10 Drake Maye - Myers Park (N.C.) - North Carolina
#11 Christian Veilleux - The Bullis School (Md.) - Penn State
#12 Tyler Buchner - Helix (Calif.) - Notre Dame
#12 Brock Vandagriff - Prince Avenue Christian (Ga.) - Georgia
#13 Garrett Nussmeier - Marcus (Texas) - LSU
#13 Ty Thompson - Mesquite (Texas) - Oregon
#18 Maddox Kopp - St. Thomas (Texas) - Uncommitted
#18 Caleb Williams - Gonzaga (D.C.) - Uncommitted