Caleb Williams Named 2020 Elite 11 Finals MVP

Entering the event as the passer with the most eyes on him, Caleb Williams did not disappoint en route to the 2020 Elite 11 Finals MVP award.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Coming into the 2020 Elite 11 Finals, there was never a doubt about about the quarterback who would occupy the most onlookers' eyes among the 20 competitors. 

Caleb Williams. 

The uncommitted star out of Washington (D.C.), who is set to commit between LSU, Maryland and Oklahoma on Saturday, lived up to all of the hype and billing his athletic profile and 2019 campaign commanded. After dominating Day 1, ranking in the top group on Day 2 and maintaining during the final day of competition, he was named MVP of the event and admitted it was 'more than a trophy.'

"This was a box I wanted [to check]," Williams told SI All-American of taking home the title. "I wanted to come here last year. I wanted to come win, but you can't come as a junior. It's a bit more than this trophy... it meant a lot more."

Williams didn't match his Monday dominance during the pro day and Wednesday's accuracy gauntlet. The latter event was sprung on the group in the last 24 hours in place of the usual 7-on-7 competition because of new COVID-19 restrictions in the area. 

Many of the top arms in attendance, including Williams, were banking on strong 7-on-7 performance to close out the event. 

"I really wish we would have had 7-on-7's, because that's really where you get to do some funky things and separate yourself from the other 19 guys," he said. "That's what I was hoping for. But we didn't get it, obviously, so we had to just face the adversity that we had, go indoors and start gripping and ripping."

The night prior, the pro day workout featured some rare misses for the newly-crowned champ. 

"I was very frustrated yesterday," said Williams. "I don't really have too many days like that. I know that wasn't me."

Even still, as Elite 11 coaches Trent Dilfer and Brian Stumpf pointed out, the unique take on the 2020 event wasn't just based on the 72 hours of competition. At least 50 percent of the final grade was 2019 tape and athletic traits.

There's reason to believe Williams would have taken home the top honor regardless of calculative scale, but he'd end the day all smiles and excited about his coming verbal commitment. 

"Three more days!" he yelled as he left the field for the last time as an undeclared recruit. 

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