Jake Nawrot is 'Locked In' with UK, Ready to Showcase Skills at Elite 11 Finals

Every time Jake Nawrot gets an opportunity to shine, he exceeds expectations. This week, the Kentucky quarterback commit is embarking on his biggest test to date. If he achieves his goal, Nawrot can complete his path from high school backup to the No. 1 quarterback in the country.

Nawrot is spending his weekend at the Elite 11 Finals. The nation’s most prestigious QB camp since 1999 is hosting the Top 20 quarterbacks in the country for a friendly competition from Friday through Sunday. The setting is akin to a standardized test, allowing evaluators to see the best of the best go through the same tests all in the same place.

Day one is reserved exclusively for drill work and ends with a “Hole Shot Challenge” – a single elimination, knockout-style competition that is judged by the Elite 11 coaches. Day two of the Elite 11 mirrors a college pro day. Quarterbacks go through a 20-throw script, then compete in an accuracy challenge while throwing at targets. Awards are handed out following day three’s 7-on-7 competition.

Despite the lack of success on Saturdays in the fall, Kentucky has featured plenty of passers at the Elite 11 in the past, ranging from Drew Barker to Matt Ponatoski. Unlike his predecessors, Nawrot enters the Elite 11 as a favorite to leave with MVP honors.

Nawrot did not become a varsity starter until his junior season. In 2025, he completed 71% of his passes for a Hersey (Ill.) school record 3,078 yards, and led the state with 41 touchdowns. Relatively new to football, he hasn’t looked like it in camp settings, turning heads at every stop.

“Jake Nawrot is a smooth, instinctive passer with natural lower-body mechanics and innate timing. He’s in rhythm from the ground up, which leads to high-level accuracy,” writes Charles Power, Rivals’ Director of Scouting.

“Nawrot’s steadiness and accuracy belie his relative lack of experience. The one-year varsity starter has been a huge riser over the past several months coming off of a huge debut season, putting together some of the best junior film we’ve seen from the group. He may not have been a national name as long as most of the others, but has put himself firmly in the top tier of 2027 quarterbacks based on his play to this point.”

Nawrot was the top-performing quarterback at the Elite 11 Regional qualifying camps. If he repeats that performance, he can become a five-star prospect and the No. 1 player in his recruiting class.

Complete Elite 11 Finals Roster | What to Expect at the QB Showcase

Nawrot is Learning Kentucky’s Offense from Afar

Will Stein has shared many memorable quotes from his first few months on campus. One of them directly applies to this situation.

“Recruiting is about waking these kids up and putting them to bed,” Stein told KSR in April. “It has to be an everyday thing. It can’t be once in a while, or, hey, we got this kid committed now, he’s good till December. F-that. It’s not. It’s not. You better still go like your hair’s on fire.

“Just because we got an awesome QB, number two in the country, don’t think that everybody’s trying to still kind of talk to him. I mean, you’re crazy if you don’t think that’s true.”

Stein is correct. Other schools are trying to talk to Nawrot. He shared with Steve Wiltfong that Ohio State coaches have been in contact.

“I think it’s been cool and I don’t want to burn any bridges,” Nawrot said. “I still acknowledge them but I’m locked in with my commitment and I’m fired up about Kentucky. It’s a blessing to have these schools reaching out to me, but I’m happy where I’m at.”

Kentucky is keeping that commitment strong by meeting with Nawrot weekly. These aren’t just “Hey, how’s it going?” conversations. The coaches are breaking down the playbook with Nawrot to help him learn Kentucky’s offensive verbiage and concepts. It’s creating a strong connection between the Cats and their prized quarterback recruit.

“I think with all the coaching staff around me there I’m in good hands with Coach (Will) Stein, Coach (Joe) Sloan and Coach (Nate) Dodson,” Nawrot said. “I think that’s a stacked offensive room for me and the rest of the offense. Having Coach Sloan be such a big part of the quarterback room as the offensive coordinator is big for me.”