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All aboard the Tyler Macon hype train!
Macon, the 3-star Mizzou quarterback commit, showed out this week at the Elite 11 quarterback camp. He arrived as an underdog to make the final “Elite 11” roster. By the end of the week, it became clear Macon was one of the 11 best quarterbacks on the roster.
This is no small feat.
The Elite 11 competition is probably the most well known and well publicized annual high school quarterback camp in the country. Very few 3-star quarterbacks are invited. Even fewer make the final cut.
Super Bowl winning quarterback Trent Dilfer took over the camp back in 2011. By 2013 he developed the camp into what it’s become known as today. Since then, a total of nine 3-star quarterbacks have made the final list of the top 11 quarterbacks, otherwise known as the “Elite 11.”
The history of those recruits becoming successful quarterbacks in college is pretty darn impressive.
Elite 11 3-Star QBs
| Recruiting Class: | Name: | School: | Total Gms (Current Yr) | Career Pass Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiting Class: | Name: | School: | Total Gms (Current Yr) | Career Pass Yards |
| 2014 | David Blough | Purdue | 44 | 9734 |
| 2014 | Luke Rubenzer | California | 36 | N/A |
| 2015 | Ben Hicks | SMU/Arkansas | 44 | 9819 |
| 2016 | Anthony Russo | Temple | 24 (SR) | 5424 |
| 2017 | Tommy Devito | Syracuse | 19 (JR) | 2885 |
| 2019 | Brian Maurer | Tennessee | 8 (SO) | 541 |
| 2019 | Ty Evans | NC State | 0 (RS FR) | 0 |
| 2020 | Haynes King | Texas A&M | 0 (FR) | 0 |
| 2021 | Kyron Drones | Baylor | - | - |
| 2021 | Tyler Macon | Mizzou | - | - |
Three of the five Elite 11 3-star QBs from 2014-2018 went on to become multi-year starters. Tommy Devito will soon make it four out of five barring something unforeseen. The lone exception is Luke Rebenzer. He flipped to the defensive side of the ball after his first year at Cal.
In other words, if recent Elite 11 history is any indication, the odds are in favor that Macon will be a multi-year starter at Mizzou.
None of this is shocking, of course. It’s not like Macon came out of nowhere. He passed for more than 4,000 yards and had a part in more than 50 total touchdowns for East St. Louis last season en route to a class 6A Illinois state title. Those are unbelievable numbers against high level opponents. But they didn’t come without legitimate questions.
East St. Louis is loaded with talent. Two of Macon’s receivers are power-five recruits in their own right, each of whom are more than welcome to join Macon at Mizzou if they choose to do so. It was fair to wonder if Macon’s success said more about Macon, his weapons, or a combination of the two.
Camps like the Elite 11 help answer those kinds of questions.
Answer the questions is exactly what Macon did. The future Missouri quarterback spent the better portion of the week throwing on the same field as most of the top rated quarterback prospects in the country. He left knowing he’s every bit as good as the vast majority of them.
The Tigers’ success under Gary Pinkel was due in large part to Pinkel’s ability to consistently identify and develop quarterbacks. They had a borderline unprecedented run of quality play under center going from Brad Smith to Chase Daniel to Blaine Gabbert to James Franklin to Maty Mauk to Drew Lock.
That chain was been broken in the last calendar year. The Tigers didn’t have an obvious answer at quarterback for 2019 until Kelly Bryant decided to transfer and play his final season at Missouri. There is once again uncertainty at the quarterback position heading into 2020. It’s unclear if they have an answer for 2021, either.
It might be tough for Macon to be that answer that quickly, but this week should give Mizzou fans a lot of confidence that he will be the answer eventually. He proved that much this week at the Elite 11.
All aboard the Macon Train.