Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley was noticeably absent from the field at this week's Elite 11 Quarterbacks Camp. Some Internet reports wondered if the 2007 Gatorade Player of the Year wanted to avoid competing against the other top QBs in the nation.

That might seem like a reasonable question, but it's actually kind of silly since Barkley just a week earlier went head-to-head against the QB many consider to be his biggest challenger for the title of Best QB in the Class of '09.

Two weeks ago, Barkley was in Oregon with his Mater Dei teammates for the prestigious Nike 7ON passing tournament. Also competing in the tournament was Aaron Murray (Plant High, Tampa, Fla.), who has committed to Georgia.

It was the first time this summer that arguably the two best high school QBs in the nation met head-to-head -- and it would be the only time, since Barkley turned down an invitation to this year's Elite 11 because of other commitments.

(It's worth noting, Murray was selected the MVP of the Elite 11 camp, which ended Thursday night.)

According to one report out of the Oregon tournament, Barkley showed why he has been pegged as a "future NFL star" by so many scouts. But Murray's performance was just as strong, and ESPN's story on the showdown says the two QBs are both worthy of being called The Best QB in the Class of '09.

To read ESPN's "Tale of the Tape" comparison of Barkley and Murray, click here.

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