Day two of the summer's biggest camp series, the Nike Football Training Camp and the Elite 11, is upon us. Tonight, on the campus of the Ohio State University, some of the nation's best quarterbacks will compete for a spot in the prestigious Elite 11 finals July 5-7 in Eugene, Oregon.
Who are the names to watch tonight? We'll start with the obvious, 2015 The Plains, Ohio star Joe Burrow and 2017 Massillon phenom Danny Clark, each of whom have already committed to play football for the Buckeyes.
Burrow did work out during yesterday's NFTC but was limited in his action, trying to ensure a fresh arm for this evening's event. Clark was scheduled to attend Sunday's camp, but did not appear. He is back on campus today at Ohio State and ready to silence any potential doubters.
While those two will the primary focus of our recruiting coverage here at Eleven Warriors, here a few other key names that will be in attendance.
TYLER QUEEN // KENNESAW, GEORGIA
Tyler Queen, who committed to Auburn in July of 2013, comes all the way from Georgia to try and take home the "Golden Gun" award, presented to the camp's premiere performer. He's 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds and a consensus four-star prospect across the major recruiting networks. If Buckeye fans think that Torrance Gibson has dropped the Buckeyes because of Joe Burrow's commitment, they need to note that the Tigers have Queen in the bag and are still tied at the top of Gibson's list.
LORENZO NUNEZ // KENNESAW, GEORGIA
Call Columbus Kennesaw North today, as Lorenzo Nunez and his father are here from the Peach State as well. The first quarterback in the 2015 recruiting class to get an Ohio State offer, Nunez is a South Carolina commitment and the country's 8th-ranked dual-threat quarterback.
ALEX MALZONE // BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN
Alex Malzone is the Maize and Blue representative in Columbus today after a good showing yesterday from a handful of Michigan commitments. The Birmingham Brother Rice star is a steady leader and an excellent quarterback who jumped all over his Michigan off much in the manner Burrow did when it came to Ohio State. Under-rated as a three-star player, Malzone's mental edge and calm demeanor could help him in today's competition.
TYLER LONG // TIFFIN, OHIO
A player I'm very interested in seeing today is Calvert (Tiffin) quarterback/defensive back Tyler Long. He's off the radar — there's no Rivals, Scout or 247 profiles on him — but he's got a great frame and very good top-end speed. If he can show today the ability to throw the ball, his name could become one that people start hearing more regularly. At 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, Long runs a sub 4.45-forty and is one of the state's top sprinters. That combination of size and speed goes a long way if he shows even a little ability today throwing the ball. He may end up as a defensive back in college, but we'll know more about his game soon.
NOAH WEZENSKY // FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
I saw Wezensky last summer and was definitely impressed by his ability to throw the ball from the pocket and on the move. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Wezensky's only offer is from the Zips in Akron, but I think he's a player good enough for more. One question about Wezensky that will be answered is "how big is he?" Because he's got profiles saying he's 6-foot-3 and others saying he's 6-foot-1, and that will make a difference.
KARÉ LYLES // SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
The 2016 gunslinger, Karé Lyles has the pressure of replacing California Bears-bound and 2013 Elite 11 finalist Luke Rubenzer as Christian Kirk's quarterback at Saguaro High School. Lyles has good size at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds and when I saw him in Scottsdale three weeks ago I was very impressed by his ability to put the long ball in the right place and to do so with excellent touch. There are no offers yet for Lyles, but he's a prospect that will end up with high-major offers before all is said and done. He's got a younger brother, a 2017 offensive lineman (Kayden) with double-digit offers already, and Eleven Warriors will have more on the Scottsdale duo in the coming days.
