Cedar Hill (Texas) High Top247 quarterback and Tennessee commit
Kaidon Salter said it was “a dream come true” when he received his invitation to the 22nd annual Elite 11 Finals. “Ever since I started taking the quarterback position serious the Elite 11 was big on my hit list because I know that’s where the top quarterbacks compete and I wanted to compete against the best of the best,” Salter said.
And the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Salter should be considered one of the best of the best coming into this event,
checking in among 20 quarterbacks Monday for the three-day competition held just outside of Nashville. The Top247’s No. 1 ranked signal-caller in the Lone Star State had a strong junior season throwing for 2,550 yards and 28 touchdowns to just six interceptions with another 616 yards rushing and 10 more scores. The four-star prospect was also having a terrific off-season shining on the 7-on-7 circuit in the spring for the True Buzz Athletics squad prior to the Covid-19 pandemic shutting all competition down. With that, Salter is ready to pick up where he left off at this week’s Elite 11 Finals.
“I’m real excited to get down there and show my talent and compete around the best quarterbacks in the country and be taught up by the quarterback coaches that will be there,” Salter said. He is tabbed as the No. 4 dual-threat passer and No. 62 prospect overall in our rankings and is No. 8 and No. 206 respectively in the 247Sports Composite Player Rankings.
“I’m hoping to learn new things from the coaches that are there, do good in the 7-on-7, the drills and learn a whole bunch of things from the staff and you never know, learn some things from the quarterbacks I’m there competing with. “I want to go in and do my best and do what I’m taught and hopefully come out and win MVP.”
Salter committed to head coach
Jeremy Pruittand the Vols in May and is one of the jewels of
a class that ranks No. 3 nationally by the 247Sports Composite. “It’s been going good,” Salter said. “I’ve been talking to the coaches every day, FaceTime, text message and my parents talk to them. The relationship has been the same since day one. We’re keeping that bond and making it bigger and bigger.”
Salter chose the Vols over Auburn, Baylor and several others. “The family thing we have, the bond we have built up all the way through and Tennessee, I was the only 2021 quarterback Tennessee was recruiting and that was real big on my list. That opened my eyes up once I heard that I was the only 2021 quarterback they were looking at where other schools were looking at three, four and debating which one to take. Tennessee was only looking at me which was real big.”
Beyond Pruitt, Salter has a good relationship with
Chris Weinke and
Jim Chaney. “Those are great coaches,” Salter said. “Their personalities are great. Our bond is big and I’m not even there.”
As Tennessee puts the finishing touches on this 2021 class, no surprise where Salter is trying to help. “Going after (Amarius) Mims, a few big o-linemen,” he stated. “Right now coach is sending me different offensive linemen we’re trying to get. We’re trying to get more offensive linemen, o-tackles, receivers, trying to get the offensive side stacked up like the defensive side.”
