With a second Super Bowl under Eli's belt, it's clear that
he and brother Peyton comprise the greatest pair of quarterback siblings in football history.
While it doesn't always translate to success in the college ranks and beyond, there have been several pairs of brother signal callers at the high school level that have left their mark, including Ben and
Maty Mauk,
Tyler and
Blaine Gabbert, and Dusty and
Gunner Kiel.
In fact, many of the top signal callers in the Class of 2013 have brothers that have also found success at the position.
Kevin Olsen's older brother, Christian, was a top quarterback recruit from the Class of 2012.
Mitch Browne, older brother of current Skyline standout
Max Browne, was a conference offensive player of the year as a senior in 2000.
Kelly Hilinski, Notre Dame
Photo by Nicholas Koza
But it's a California duo that seems to most closely resemble the Manning brothers: Notre Dame quarterback
Kelly Hilinski and younger brother
Tyler.
Kelly is Notre Dame's junior quarterback who has been on the national radar since before his freshman season.
Under the tutelage of renowned quarterback guru
Steve Clarkson, the once-lanky quarterback has blossomed into a polished signal-caller. His impressive 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame already compares favorably to that of Peyton Manning. On film, he shows a good ability to move around the pocket and throws the ball with tremendous precision.
"I think he's got a great deal of potential," said Notre Dame head coach Kevin Rooney.
Rooney said that Kelly has the physical tools and should only improve with increased experience at the varsity level. USC, Stanford and Oklahoma are all recruiting him, though all three will be selective at the quarterback position and have yet to offer. Given the success all three have had at developing players at the position, it comes as no surprise.
Incidentally, all three schools are in the mix for Max Browne, while Kevin Olsen is hearing from Stanford and Oklahoma, among other schools. As is common with top quarterbacks, a domino effect could occur after one or two blue-chip recruits pick a school.
Kelly said that Colorado and Arkansas have told him they'd be offering him once the current dead period ends. He also said that he expects to attend USC's camp, where the Trojans are likely to offer the top performer.
Kelly's younger brother Tyler appears to have an equally bright future. He's already pushing 6-4 and has received interest from UCLA and Oregon. He appears poised to be a top recruit in the Class of 2015, even if he's a shade shorter than his older brother.
"He's going to be a real good player," Rooney said. "He's not quite as tall as Kelly but a real smart guy. I think he'll have a real bright future."
Like the Mannings, there's even a third brother coming down the pipeline: 10-year old Ryan, who plays quarterback for his youth league team.
Rooney stands to benefit, as he could have a Hilinski behind center for the better part of this decade.
"I'm encouraging them to have some more kids to see if I can't go a little longer," Rooney jokingly told the Los Angeles Times.
