Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES - Day one of the Elite 11 Finals is complete. The prestigious three-day quarterback competition has brought 20 of the top signal-callers in the 2026 recruiting class to Southern California.

Lincoln-Way East (Ill.) four-star quarterback and USC Trojans commit Jonas Williams had a strong showing at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif. The first day focused on drill work, where quarterbacks could show off their arms and work on their footwork.

Williams had a couple of nice throws early on and continued to look more and more comfortable as the night rolled on. He was excellent during red zone drills, particularly moving outside the pocket and throwing to the back of the end zone. Williams threw a few beautiful passes backpedaling to his left and lofting them to the opposite side of the end zone, showcasing natural arm strength.

His feel and ability to navigate the pocket and crisp footwork were impressive. Williams does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield so he can extend the play. He can operate within the structure of the offense but has the ability to create off-script.

All of this, of course is done in shorts and t-shirts, with no pass rush or defense. The defensive part will come later — or at least partially during the 7v7 showcase on Thursday. Having good technique and throwing in rhythm on air show good habits.

Williams isn’t the tallest passer at around 6-foot-1 but has a thick frame weighing around 215 pounds. A four-year-starter, Williams has taken a lot of snaps in his high school career.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Relationship with Mark Bowman

Williams linked up with Mater Dei (Calif.) five-star tight end and USC commit Mark Bowman last week in Southern California for a throwing session. He’s also had throwing sessions with Sierra Canyon (Calif.) three-star receiver and USC commit Ja’Myron “Tron” Baker, who one of the receivers at the Elite 11 and was also on his official visit last weekend.

“I would say I’m pretty close with Mark Bowman, he’s a big piece in our recruiting class,” Williams said. “He’s a gigantic human and the No. 1 tight end in the country.”

Bowman was heavily pursued by a number of schools in the SEC, including Texas, Georgia and Alabama, but it was the Trojans who landed the local prospect when he announced his pledge on May 30. And Williams has wasted no time developing chemistry with the 6-foot-5, 230-pound pass catcher.

“I’ve been pretty active with our recruits, throwing with them,” Williams said.

USC Official Visit

Williams was in Los Angeles the weekend of June 6 to put on his recruiting hat as the Trojans hosted a pair of highly touted receivers in DeSoto (Texas) four-star Ethan “Boobie” Feaster and Panther Creek (Texas) four-star Jalen Lott.

The visit also gave the four-star quarterback an opportunity to be around 10 other commits in the Trojans 2026 class and continue building a strong bond with his future teammates.

This past weekend, Williams returned to Southern California for his official visit. He was one of eight recruits USC hosted, seven of which are already committed to the Trojans.

“It was really fun, probably one of the best visits I’ve ever had,” Williams said. “Just being around the coaches all weekend, being around my family, we did a lot of fun activities.”

One of the activities over the weekend included golfing with USC coach Lincoln Riley. When asked if Riley was good at golf, Williams responded “very good” with a big smile.

The Trojans have been known to made a strong impression on recruits during their official visits and not just from a football perspective.

"Just how much love they show you, just how much they show they want you,” Williams said. “I think that’s what sets USC apart from different schools. And obviously what USC brings to the players. On the field and off the field. We’re building a great class, and you have a world class education.”

2026 Recruiting Class

The Trojans have been hot on the recruiting trail for pretty much the entire year. USC holds 29 commitments, six more then the next closest, Rutgers at 23, and own the No. 1 ranked recruiting class according to every recruiting site.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it would be this big, but I knew it would be something special, but this turning out to be a generational recruiting class if we can keep it,” Williams said. “So, I’m just thankful to God what he’s bringing into USC right now, I’m just excited, I wish I was at USC right now.”

As the quarterback recruit in a potentially program-altering recruiting class, Williams has taken on the responsibility of actively recruiting other prospects since his flipping his commitment from Oregon in late February.

“I feel like I’ve been balancing it pretty well,” Williams said. “My coaches obviously they recruit, but the quarterback recruiting also plays a big factor. They tell me guys they want and I want to get too. I’ll text them all the time and chop it up with them. I embrace it, I kind of like doing. I feel like it sends a ‘okay this is my class and this is my responsibility to make it great.’

The Trojans continue to push to put the final touches of its 2026 class together, but they, and Williams understand the early signing period in December is still a long way away.

For a program that was hit hard the weeks leading up the early signing period in the 2025 cycle, Williams has made it a priority to keep the 2026 class intact from now until early December.

“Just knowing it could go away like this, especially with recruiting nowadays guys flip left and right,” Williams said. “Nothing's guaranteed until signing day. I’m always working to keep these guys and get more guys.”

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC Trojans Recruit Jonas Williams Turns Heads At Elite 11, Reveals Mark Bowman Connection.