Utah QB Commit Nate Johnson Struggles At Elite 11 Finals
When Nate Johnson arrived at the finals of the Elite 11 camp in Los Angeles earlier this week, he was met with excitement, nerves and anticipation.
There he was, just miles from home and among the top 20 high school quarterbacks in the nation. But Johnson was ready to prove that he belonged, despite being what recruiting analysts call a "late-bloomer."
Here's a breakdown of Johnson's three days of competition...
Day One
It wasn't the best of starts for Johnson as his inexperience at the position showed. Struggling with accuracy throughout the day of competition, he proved that his learning curve is much steeper than many of the other competitors. But what Johnson did have going for him was his athleticism, as he was arguably the best overall athlete throughout the day.
SI All-American's John Garcia Jr. on Johnson's day one performance
Johnson has good mobility in the pocket and excels at throwing on the run. With that said, he just didn’t have the same zip on the ball that a lot of these other quarterbacks did, which resulted in under-throwing some balls, including in the rail shot event that closed out the first day. He’s a great athlete at the quarterback position, and more consistency at the second level could help him bounce back.
Position: 20th out of 20
Nate Johnson, Day 1 of Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, Calif
Day Two
It was an impressive bounce back performance by Johnson, who proved he's a quick learner and adapting well.
His quickness was on full display and he thrived with throwing the deep ball just 24 hours after really struggling. He did miss some of his intermediate throws and was never fully able to develop a rhythm. Altogether the day showcased the mental strength and what type of competitor Johnson is as he battled all day long.
SI All-American's John Garcia Jr. on Johnson's day two performance
The Utah-bound dual-threat showed good arm strength and was one of the quickest quarterbacks in the lot. In an event where mistakes are few, yet flash bright, Johnson had a hit-and-miss session. He missed a couple of slants and a roll-out crossing route to his dominant side, but threw a couple of deep dimes including the first 7-cut after three throws to running backs.
Position: 15th out of 20
Nate Johnson, Day 2 of Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, Calif
Day Three
The Jekyll and Hyde version of Johnson was on full display during the final day of competition.
There were moments where he looked like one of the top quarterbacks in the competition, completely controlling the workout and delivering balls accurately and on time with good zip. But there were other moments where his best traits, throwing on the run and the RPO game, were completely missing and lacking.
SI All-American's John Garcia Jr. on Johnson's day three performance
If we scored utilizing the best balls of the workout, Johnson would rank near the top of the list. He was boom or bust Friday with stark contrasts in accuracy between starting hot and getting the staff excited and missing the RPO shot high on multiple occasions in a row. Utah has one of the most intriguing signal-callers headed to campus and the ceiling for the decisive and twitchy talent is there.
Position: 15th out of 20
Nate Johnson, Courtesy of Utah Athletics
Johnson finished the competition ranked 19th out of the 20 quarterbacks, one spot better than Miami commit Jacurri Brown. While the final ranking isn't what Johnson anticipated for himself, it was a great learning performance for the upcoming Ute.
The most inexperienced quarterback at the competition, Johnson was easily one of its top athletes. The strides he made throughout the three days showed how strong he is mentally and how he's never willing to give up or mail it in.
Consistency continued to be his biggest issue throughout the three days but the highs were as good as any of the quarterbacks there. One would think that with more experience, especially with this upcoming high school season considering he's only played five games at quarterback, the ceiling for Johnson remains extremely high.
When Johnson announced his commitment to the University of Utah on June 18, it signified multiple things for the Utes.
Not only did it prove that head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff are trying to completely revamp the quarterback position for Utah, it further signified that recruits are taking notice of what Utah can be on offense in the future.
After being known primarily as a power running offense, Whittingham has made it a priority to make the Utes more balanced on offense. Granted the Utes will never be a fast-paced offense similar to the old Oregon days, but they can still be an efficient one through the air.
After signing 4-star quarterback Peter Costelli last cycle and adding talented passer Charlie Brewer from Baylor and big-arm slinger Ja'Quinden Jackson from Texas for the upcoming season, the quarterback room is stocked with talent.
Johnson is next in line to join the room as someone who can make an immediate impact.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, he has the athleticism to shine as a runner but is significantly more than that. His throwing prowess was on full display last season as he threw for 1,000 yards and ran for over 300 yards on just five games of action. After working with a quarterbacks coach since the eighth grade, Johnson is quickly growing into the position — and it's shown through his recruitment.
The Utes were able to fend off primary contender Michigan and a late offer from hometown program UCLA to nab Johnson. The high 3-star prospect also had offers from Arizona State, Oregon State and TCU.
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