Nation's No. 1 quarterback prospect announces Top 4 schools

Considered the top quarterback prospect in the 2027 college football recruiting rankings has narrowed his list of finalists to four potential programs.

Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The player who is considered the top quarterback and one of the single-best players in the 2027 college football recruiting class at any position has reportedly narrowed down his list of finalists to four possible contenders.

Elijah Haven, the consensus five-star quarterback ranked as the top player at his position in the country, is considering four SEC programs as he draws closer to his eventual commitment, according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.

What schools are in contention?

NEWS: Five-Star QB Elijah Haven is down to 4 Schools, a source tells @Rivals

The 6’5 215 QB totaled 4,714 yards and 73 TDs this season (Louisiana state record)

He’s the No. 1 QB in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankingshttps://t.co/WorRVGSus3 pic.twitter.com/VbnWN9vXd4

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 16, 2026

First on the list is Alabama, which is undergoing a change at the quarterback position ahead of the 2026 season following the departure of Ty Simpson to the NFL Draft, and as the program prepares to install former five-star Keelon Russell as QB1 in 2026.

Analysts are high on the Crimson Tide potentially earning Haven’s commitment, as the school has a 100 percent chance to sign the quarterback right now, according to the latest 247Sports Crystal Ball projection.

Georgia is also among the finalists for Haven, as its quarterback depth chart for next season appears to be set at the top as Gunner Stockton didn’t enter his name into the NFL Draft in time, possibly signaling his intention to return next season.

But the program will be in the market for a signal caller to replace Stockton eventually, and while Ryan Puglisi stands to inherit the position, insiders contend Georgia is also looking into former Oregon signee Bryson Beaver.

Five-star quarterback Jared Curtis was in the picture for Georgia before he de-committed from the Bulldogs and flipped to Vanderbilt last month.

Other SEC powers in the mix

Alex Golesh is set to start Byrum Brown as his first quarterback at Auburn, but Haven is considering the program as a potential landing spot, as well.

Andre Adams is also in the picture at quarterback for the Tigers, as the Nashville prospect ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in the country in the 2027 class, is set for a visit to The Plains in January.

Another SEC hopeful under new management, Florida is also in play for Haven.

Jon Sumrall took over the Gators program this offseason and just lost former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway to the transfer portal, although the school did sign Aaron Philo, the former three-star Georgia Tech backup to the position this cycle.

What he’s done on the field

Haven broke a Louisiana state record throwing the football this past season.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound signal caller covered 4,714 yards throwing the ball and scored 73 touchdowns in total, the latter being a state high school record.

Haven threw for 62 touchdowns while completing 72.3 percent of his pass attempts and throwing just seven interceptions while averaging almost 281 yards per game passing.

The quarterback ran for 794 additional yards and another 11 touchdowns while posting 6.3 yards per carry and averaging 57 yards with his legs each time out.

That represents a jump in production from the previous season, when Haven threw for 37 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while covering 3,137 yards in the air.

He rushed for a career-high 948 yards as a sophomore and had a personal-best 21 touchdowns on the ground in 2024, according to MaxPreps.

In total, Haven has 9,274 passing yards while completing 68.1 percent of his passes and scoring 134 touchdowns in the air.

He has another 2,375 yards rushing while averaging 5.9 yards per attempt and 44 touchdowns with his legs at Dunham (Baton Rouge), La.

What the recruiting experts say

Analysts are very high on Haven, unanimously naming him a five-star recruit and placing him among the very best prospects in the country.

Haven is considered the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the nation, the second-best player in Louisiana, and the No. 14 overall recruit regardless of position, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

The quarterback is regarded as the best prospect at his position and the No. 2 overall player, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.