Gamecocks QB commit Hilinski on track at Elite 11

There's a lot of parsing of phrasing when it comes to the Elite 11 quarterback competition.

There are the regional competitions, finals in Portland and actually, you know, being in that final elite group of 11. Quarterback recruits in various stages of the competition often get the Elite 11 tag, even if that designation really only goes to that final group.

That's what Ryan Hilinski is currently battling for in Redondo Beach, California.

The South Carolina football commit was No. 3 in the competition's rankings heading into Sunday. That had him on track to make the final group and potentially qualify for a spot at The Opening.

He was only behind Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma commit), Bo Nix (Auburn), Graham Mertz (Wisconsin) and former Gamecocks target Sam Howell (Florida State) on Saturday night. That was before turning in another good performance.

Hilinski, who plays in one of the most competitive conferences in the country, has also caught the attention of a few national experts.

After the first day, 247's Greg Biggins wrote:

This story was originally published June 3, 2018 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Gamecocks QB commit Hilinski on track at Elite 11."