Yes, Jack Elliott set a Mount Carmel football record last season by throwing for 3,148 yards.
And it’s true he ran for 847 yards, combining for 3,995 yards passing and rushing. It’s also true that he led the Caravan to a 13-1 record and the Class 7A state championship.
But when the senior quarterback studies film of that dream year, he’s not impressed.
“When I watch last year’s film, it’s like ‘what am I doing?’’’ Elliott said. “It looks like I was a rookie out there.”
Other people have watched the film and feel differently. That includes Jerry Kill, Vanderbilt’s chief consultant to head coach Clark Lea and a senior offensive advisor.
Kill coached Caravan coach Jordan Lynch at Northern Illinois and trusts Lynch’s judgement, so Kill had an open mind about the 6-foot, 205-pound Elliott, who said some colleges shunned him because he wasn’t 6-3.
“We talked and I sent over Jack’s film, and Jerry loved him,” Lynch said. “He ended up offering him within 48 hours or so.”
Elliott committed to Vanderbilt but still plans to look better on film for the Caravan, which comes in at No. 2 in the Daily Southtown preseason rankings.
Despite what Elliott thought of his 2023 effort, he had another fan in Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck.
“We talked for 30 minutes,” Elliott said of Beck. “He said, ‘We wanted someone who was college-ready, but we watched your film and we think you can be that guy for us. We don’t need to go into the transfer portal.”’
Mount Carmel’s Jack Elliott (9) throws a pass against Batavia during a Class 7A state semifinal game in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Mount Carmel teammate Zander Gorman, a senior tight end/defensive back, said Elliott has a strong competitive drive.
“It shows what a perspective of standards he has for himself,” Gorman said of Elliott’s self-criticism. “He has very high standards. Big time.”
Elliott, an Orland Park resident who joins a group of teammates who wake up at 4 a.m. to get football work done before school, is confident he’s an improved player.
“My knowledge of the game is better,” he said. “I’ve become a better athlete. Mechanically, I was in here throwing and watching film.
“I can tell I’ve improved in defining what the defense is doing and where the ball should go and being able to know where everything is. I know the blocking schemes better and every single thing about the offense.”
Mount Carmel quarterback Jack Elliott celebrates with his teammates after defeating Prospect in a Class 7A second-round playoff game in Chicago on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (James Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Motivation is not going to be hard this season for Elliott. When the Caravan lost 23-21 to eventual Class 8A champion Loyola during the final game of the regular season, he said afterward, “We’re never losing again.”
Mount Carmel went on to win its 15th state title, but he said his promise that the team isn’t going to lose extends into this year.
He wakes up and sees a whiteboard that prominently features 23-21 and 13-1 in black ink, signifying the Loyola score and the Caravan’s 2023 record.
“I see it every morning and I know what I am getting up for and what my purpose is,” he said. “We want to redeem ourselves senior year. That’s the first goal of the season. We talk about it — with the Catholic League Blue and then win state.
“Yeah, we won state, and we were obviously excited about it. The seniors went out with a state championship, and I was excited for them. But I wasn’t satisfied at all.”
Mount Carmel’s Jack Elliott (9) escapes a potential sack against St. Rita during a CCL/ESCC game in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
And that’s why Lynch was not hesitant to go to bat for his quarterback.
“He’s a winner,” Lynch said of Elliott. “He’s the straw that stirs the drink for us. He makes everything go. This is a quarterback-friendly offense, and he has complete command of it.”
Gorman is looking forward to witnessing Elliott’s progress.
“I think he really made a name for himself last year,” Gorman said of Elliott. “I’ve trained a lot with him during the offseason and I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do this year.”
Team: Mount Carmel.
2023 record: 13-1.
Offensive leaders: Jackson Barrins, senior, wide receiver/defensive back; Jack Elliott, senior, quarterback; Zander Gorman, senior, tight end/defensive back; Nick Lewanski, senior, offensive lineman.
Defensive leaders: Braeden Jones, junior, defensive lineman; Matthew Mucha, senior, inside linebacker; Le’Javier Payne, senior, defensive back; Tristan Pusateri, senior, outside linebacker.
X-factor: Danyl Taylor Jr., senior, running back.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
