Mount Carmel Freshman QB Thomas Elliott '29, Emerging in Caravan Pipeline
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
By: Jenny
Every Football Player Has A Story To Tell
Height: 6’1
Weight: 193 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.68
Shuttle: 4.58
Vertical: 37.2
Bench Press: 270 lbs
Squat: 365 lbs
Deadlift: 405 lbs
GPA: 4.0 Honors Student
Mount Carmel continues to define excellence in Illinois high school football. With 17 state championships, including four consecutive titles, the Caravan standard remains unmatched across the state.
Freshman quarterback Thomas Elliott is already embracing that championship culture.
Elliott went undefeated in his first season while throwing for over 2,000 yards and 36 touchdowns. For a freshman stepping into one of the most tradition rich programs in Illinois history, that production speaks volumes. But what stands out even more is the mindset behind it.
“The number one thing I am proud of from my freshman season is going undefeated. I want to be known as a winner.”
That is Mount Carmel football in one sentence.
Commitment to the Position
Elliott made a clear decision early in his development.
“I realized I could play quarterback at a high level once I decided to commit to the quarterback position. I went into playing football with a mentality that I’m going to be in the NFL.”
That confidence, paired with discipline, is shaping his development quickly.
The biggest growth in his game this year was not physical. It was leadership.
“The part of my game that took the biggest jump was my leadership role. The staff at Mount Carmel, along with some of the seniors, taught me to be a better leader.”
On the field, Elliott describes himself simply.
“My playing style as a quarterback is dual threat. I will score any way I can on the field.”
Raised in the Caravan Culture
Elliott has grown up around Mount Carmel football. He has been watching games since he was 11 years old.
“Running the Mount Carmel offense means a lot to me. Having watched the games since I was 11 years old, I dreamt of being the quarterback on the field and taking over. Now I have a chance to live that dream.”
Being raised around the program has shaped more than just his football ability.
“Growing up around the program has helped me not just on the football field, but off the football field. The coaches and players have taught me to be a better person. They push us to be our best every single day and it shows.”
The work behind the scenes is relentless.
“Most people are stuck on all the social media they see, but they don’t see the countless hours with no cameras in the gym and waking up at 3:55 in the morning to get to school to get the work in. At our Caravan Tough program, if you aren’t there on time and in uniform, the doors shut and you will be running laps. We put in the work.”
That is the standard inside a program that has won more state championships than any other in Illinois.
Learning Under a Hall of Fame Coach
For Elliott, development is accelerated by the environment around him every day. Playing quarterback at Mount Carmel means being coached by one of the most accomplished players in Illinois football history and now a College Football Hall of Famer.
Head coach Jordan Lynch will be inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame in December 2026, one of the highest honors in the sport. His playing career at Northern Illinois redefined quarterback production at the FBS level. Lynch finished third in Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish ever for a Mid American Conference player, led NIU to a historic Orange Bowl appearance, and became the first FBS quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,500 yards in a single season.
At Mount Carmel, he has continued that championship trajectory, guiding the Caravan to multiple state titles while sustaining the program’s position as the winningest in Illinois history with 17 championships, including four straight.
For a young quarterback, there is no better place to develop.
Elliott recognizes the value of that environment and the talent surrounding him daily inside one of the most competitive rosters in the Midwest, where Division I scholarship offers fill the locker room each year.
“If you want to be the best, you have to surround yourself with the best. Being coached by Coach Lynch and competing every day with guys getting Division I offers pushes me to another level.”
Within Mount Carmel football, that combination of Hall of Fame leadership and elite roster talent is both expectation and gift.
Goals Moving Forward
Elliott’s goals are aligned with the expectations of the program.
“My goal for the sophomore season is to win the starting spot on varsity and go 14 0 and win the state championship. I also plan to break every single season record.”
His development is guided by advice from someone who knows the Mount Carmel quarterback position well. His brother, Jack Elliott, led the Caravan to two state championships and broke numerous program records.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my brother Jack is to have confidence in yourself. He reminds me that once I step on the field, I need to believe that I am the best player there.”
The Next Chapter
Mount Carmel’s sustained dominance in Illinois football has always been built on quarterback leadership, discipline, and belief.
Thomas Elliott is still early in his journey, but the work ethic, production, and mentality already reflect the Caravan blueprint.
With a 4.0 GPA in honors courses and a program wide surge in weight room intensity, Elliott believes this group has something special building.
“I think the whole program is killing it in the weight room this season. The energy and intensity from everyone is through the roof. Every single day this year is going to be special at Mount Carmel.”
For a program with 17 state championships and four straight titles, expectations never change.
Elliott does not shy away from them.
He embraces them.
And in Illinois high school football, that is where championship quarterbacks are built.
Deep Dish Football Is Just Not About Recruiting
But About The Love Of The Game Of IHSA Football
RESPECT THE GAME