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The best classes of QB prospects from Elite 11 camps

Tim Tebow was in the Elite 11 class in 2005.

Beginning this week, the nation’s top prospects in the class of 2018 will converge on Nike’s campus in Beaverton, Ore., for the annual recruiting bonanza known as The Opening.

Within this larger event is a quarterback-focused camp, Elite 11, which since 1999 has featured many of the nation’s premier quarterback recruits — names such as Matt Leinart, Vince Young, Tim Tebow and Deshaun Watson, among others.

It’s too early to grade this current Elite 11 class. But this week’s top 10 list takes a trip down memory lane: Since the inaugural group in 1999, which Elite 11 class is the best in the program’s history?

1. 2005

Top three: Jake Locker, Matt Stafford, Tim Tebow

This class would include four future first-round quarterbacks: Stafford (No. 1 in 2009), Locker (No. 8 in 2011), Josh Freeman (No. 17 in 2009) and Tebow (No. 25 in 2010). Though other groups may have been deeper in terms of total eventual production — as we’ll see down the list — none could match the top four in the 2005 class.

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2. 2007

Top three: Blaine Gabbert, Andrew Luck, E.J. Manuel

Luck is one of the best college quarterbacks of the past two decades. Gabbert might have been an NFL bust, but he earned his way into the first round of the NFL draft after three years at Missouri. Likewise with Manuel at Florida State, who flamed out in the NFL but was a solid starter for Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles.

3. 2001

Top three: Vince Young, Trent Edwards, Troy Smith

Any group headlined by Vince Young deserves a lofty ranking. Beyond Young — an absolutely legendary college player — this 2001 class featured a future Heisman Trophy winner in Troy Smith and six additional future NFL quarterbacks, including Edwards and Drew Stanton.

A.J. McCarron was in the Elite 11 class of 2008.

4. 2008

Top three: Tajh Boyd, A.J. McCarron, Aaron Murray

Before there was Deshaun Watson at Clemson there was Boyd, the Tigers’ first all-everything starter at quarterback. This was an SEC-heavy group: McCarron (Alabama), Murray (Georgia) and Zach Mettenberger (LSU) each made their mark in the conference. In addition, the 2008 class included future NFL players in Tom Savage, Garrett Gilbert, Bryn Renner and Geno Smith.

5. 2000

Top three: Matt Leinart, Derek Anderson, Kyle Orton

One of the earliest Elite 11 groups was also one of its best. Leinart was a prime piece of the Pete Carroll-led Southern California dynasty. Anderson, Orton and Kellen Clemens would become solid NFL lifers; D.J. Shockley and Brodie Croyle were above-average SEC starters.

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6. 2002

Top three: Dennis Dixon, Chris Leak, Jamarcus Russell

Dixon was for a short time a Heisman front-runner, if you can remember all the way back to 2007. Leak led Florida to the national title a year earlier, with some help from Tebow. Andre Woodson was a stud at Kentucky, though his professional career never got off the ground. And before being known as an NFL bust of epic proportions, Russell’s rocket arm earned him a spot in LSU history.

7. 2014

Top three: Blake Barnett, Josh Rosen, Deondre Francois

This young group has already made its mark. Rosen has battled injuries but remains one of the great quarterback prospects to hit the college game this generation. Francois was an all-conference pick for Florida State as a freshman. Barnett will be the starter this fall for Arizona State. And Drew Lock (Missouri), Ben Hicks (SMU), Jarrett Stidham (Auburn) and Brandon Wimbush (Notre Dame) are destined for big things in 2017 and beyond.

Jameis Winston was in the Elite 11 class of 2011.

8. 2011

Top three: Jameis Winston, Tanner Mangum, Chad Kelly

Winston is one of the top prospects to ever come through the Elite 11 circuit, even if he wasn’t the lone MVP in the summer of 2011 — he shared the honor with Mangum, the starter at Brigham Young, and future SMU signee Neal Burcham. It wasn’t the deepest class, though another few eventual starters were in the field: Austin Appleby at Purdue and Florida, Chad Voytik at Pittsburgh and Bart Houston at Wisconsin.

9. 2013

Top three: 2013: David Blough, Deshaun Watson, Brad Kaaya

The jury’s not quite in on the 2013 class, though Watson alone makes it worry of a spot in the top 10. He’s joined by Kaaya, a sixth-round pick this April by the Detroit Lions, and a number of current FBS starters: Blough (Purdue), Kyle Allen (Houston), Will Grier (West Virginia) and Jacob Park (Iowa State).

10. 2015

Top three: Shea Patterson, Shane Buechele, Jacob Eason

Five years from now, this group might be in the top three, if not atop the list altogether. For now, this group features a number of returning starters — Buechele and Eason — and several quarterback poised to eventually grab a starting role on the Power Five level: Brandon Peters at Michigan, Jarrett Guarantano at Tennessee, Dwayne Haskins at Ohio State and Patterson at Mississippi.

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