Christian Hackenberg will return to the place that cemented his status as an elite blue-chip quarterback recruit, except this time, he’ll be instructing rather than competing.

Hackenberg was chosen to serve as an Elite 11 counselor for the showcase’s upcoming finals, held July 5-7 at Nike World headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. It’s a tremendous opportunity in a variety of ways for Hackenberg, who has a chance to observe from some of the best in the business as they instruct the next wave of elite quarterback talent. However, Hackenberg has the unique opportunity to provide guidance and mentorship to the player that could end up replacing him under center in Happy Valley once he decides to embark on an NFL career.

Class of 2016 quarterback Jake Zembiec (Aquinas Institute/Rochester, NY) tore it up on the field at the Elite 11 semifinals in Los Angeles, earning him a spot amongst the nation’s best in Beaverton. Zembiec received high praise for his strong arm and ability to seamlessly maneuver around the pocket and put all of his skills on display for the nation to see, while creating a buzz around the Penn State community for what is to come from the young passer.

The opportunity to work with Hackenberg is extremely important, as it will allow the two to form a certain teacher-student relationship, and will allow Hackenberg to both coach Zembiec and give him a sense of what it’s like to play quarterback in the Big Ten. This will help Zembiec takeaway crucial knowledge from one of the top college quarterbacks in the nation, as well as some of the best teachers and quarterback-gurus in the world as he prepares to enter his final season at Aquinas.

Zembiec will also have the opportunity to listen to some of the top players in the NFL and college football speak, as The Opening brings a handful of notable names in to talk with recruits. Last year’s guests included NFL stars such as Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu, and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, along with college quarterbacks like Michigan State’s Connor Cook and Florida State quarterback Everette Golson serving as counselors.

The pairing is sure to work out wonderfully for Zembiec, as he gets a chance to learn from the man he aims to replace, and showcase his talents in the spotlight for the nation to see.