Midway junior season evaluations prompt 2024 On300 rankings update
On3 has updated its On300 football prospect rankings for the 2024 cycle. This marks the third update and the first since May. Needless to say, a lot has transpired over the past five months. Most notably, we had the opportunity to see many 2024 prospects at off-season events in June and July, and we’re now two months into most junior seasons.
This update saw 74 prospects move into the On300 with 23 more On300 members also adding a fourth star. Most rankings updates early in the cycle tend to see a bunch of change as hundreds of prospects emerge throughout the junior season. The On300 overhaul after the junior season has concluded will see similar, if not more movement.
Counting down the top 10 prospects in the 2024 On300
There’s a ton of football left to be played, as about 15 months remain in 2024 cycle. Prospects develop and emerge at different rates. As we move forward, how prospects progress will always hold precedence over an early ranking that was based on a sophomore evaluation.
Let’s take a look at some storylines within this update.
Raiola holds No. 1 spot, Robinson adds fifth star
Ohio State quarterback Dylan Raiola holds at No. 1 overall. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder debuted as On3’s No. 1 prospect in the initial On300 back in March. Raiola has transferred from Burleson (Texas) High to Chandler (Ariz.) High. He’s playing efficiently as a junior, completing over 70% of his passes for 14 touchdowns against three interceptions at over 10 yards per attempt. Raiola has led the Wolves to a 6-0 start and top ten national ranking. He’s well established as a top arm talent and is showing the ability and willingness to play within the structure of Chandler’s offense. It will be interesting to track how he plays as the competition level is likely to increase during playoff action.
Five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks checks in at No. 2. Ricks’ running mate in IMG Academy’s secondary, Ellis Robinson IV joins him as a five-star, checking in at No. 3 overall. The New York native’s length, coverage ability and ball skills have made him a touted prospect for some time, and were enough to merit a fifth star, in our opinion.
Raiola, Ricks and Robinson are the three lone five-star prospects for On3 at this juncture. More will be added in updates throughout the cycle.
Further movement within the top 10
There’s much more movement within the top ten, with a few prospects putting themselves on the cusp of five-star status.
Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri checks in at No. 4 overall. Nwaneri has been considered one of the more physically gifted prospects in the cycle for months, after turning in some eye-popping measurements and testing results on the camp circuit. So far this season, we’ve seen the 6-foot-6, 250-pounder translate his top-tier athleticism to the field and continue to progress as a pass rusher. Nwaneri has notched six sacks in seven games, flashing some unique bend and hand quickness for a young prospect with his size. He’s just scratching the surface of his considerable potential and can continue to improve as a run defender. Nwaneri has visited Kansas State, Nebraska, and Oklahoma this fall and also holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon and USC, among others.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith moves up over 30 spots to No. 5 overall and ranks as the top pass catcher in this release. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder has had some huge games against top competition as a junior, while playing in what could be the nation’s most talented high school receiving corps at Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna. Smith is among the cycle’s best route-runners, pairing an outstanding release package with size and the ability to win in contested situations. His well-rounded skill set as a pure X receiver with the ability to separate with route-running is highly projectable. Smith has visited Ohio State and Florida this fall. The Buckeyes lead in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
DJ Lagway checks in as the new No. 2 quarterback and moves up to No. 8 overall. The 6-foot-2.5, 225-pounder has been one of the top physical talents at the position for most of the cycle, but we’ve seen him take an encouraging jump as a junior thus far. Lagway has flashed one of the stronger arms in the cycle, with the ability to drive the ball downfield and deliver from different arm slots and from off-platform. He’s shown some creativity as a playmaker and is a physical, explosive presence in the run game. Lagway is having one of the best junior seasons among top quarterback prospects. He’s completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 1,874 yards (11.2 yards per attempt) and 22 touchdowns against five interceptions, while also rushing for 441 yards (12.6 yards per carry) and seven more scores. While Lagway can continue improving his consistency on a game by game basis, we view his upside to be as high as any prospect in the cycle as he continues to gain experience. The Willis (Texas) High multi-sport star has taken in games at Texas A&M, Florida, LSU and Arkansas this fall. The Aggies lead in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Mike Matthews‘ bump up to No. 9 overall has been a long time coming. He was among On3’s top performers at the loaded Overtime OT7 7-on-7 tournament back in June. If there was any doubt Matthews was a top 2024 prospect, that’s been erased by his showing as a junior at Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview. The two-way star has blossomed as a wide receiver prospect over the past six months. While he was initially being recruited by some programs as a safety, we see his highest upside being at receiver. Matthews has shown ball elite ball skills in multiple settings. His long arms, bounce and coordination make for a pure ball winner. We’ve seen Matthews make big plays against top competition as a junior, catching 25 passes for 633 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games. Clemson, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee have received fall visits from Matthews, who also doubles as a standout basketball player at Parkview and on the AAU circuit.
EDGE Dylan Stewart (No. 6), Alabama athlete commit Jaylen Mbakwe (No. 7) and EDGE Elijah Rushing (No. 10) maintain their status as top ten prospects in this update.
Big debuts in the On300
As noted above, we saw dozens of prospects make their debut in the On300, with several making big splashes within the top 100.
New Haven (Ind.) High wide receiver Mylan Graham (No. 18) has a case as the most advanced route-runner in the cycle to this point. The 6-foot, 170-pounder is highly advanced from a technical perspective. The polish shows up in the ability to separate from defensive backs in every setting. Graham’s coordination and footwork are outstanding. He turned in multiple strong showings on the camp circuit and has parlayed that into a big junior season, catching 48 passes for 1,1489 yards and 13 touchdowns through nine games. Ohio State leads in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Few prospects made a more drastic transformation from their sophomore to junior seasons than Jordan Seaton (No. 19). The Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College offensive lineman dropped well over 50 pounds in the off-season and is around 6’5 and 305 pounds. That physical transformation is showing up on the field, with Seaton is moving at a different level as a junior. While he’s always been a strong, technical offensive lineman, the improved movement skills have helped him develop into a borderline dominant player with positional flexibility. Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State and USC are among the contenders according to his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Wide receiver Bryant Wesco (No. 28) is one of the biggest breakout juniors from the Lone Star State. Wesco is a smooth, athletic wideout with strong athletic markers, including a triple jump mark over 46 feet. He’s among the state’s leading receivers, despite playing in a triple option offense at Midlothian (Texas) High. The combination of size (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) ball skills and ability to separate stack up well within what looks to be a strong cycle at the position. Wesco also has athletic pedigree, as his father was a five-time All-American triple jumper at Louisiana Tech. TCU and Oklahoma lead in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Jaden Reddell (No. 35) stuck out as we were evaluating the tight ends. The Raymore (Mo.) Raymore-Peculiar product began his career as a receiver and has grown into a tight end prospect. The receiving ability is readily evident, as Reddell is having a very strong junior season catching the football. We see the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder break off some huge gains on catch-and-runs, showing natural ball skills and good play speed. He’s caught 36 passes for 716 yards and nine touchdowns in seven games thus far. Reddell has seen his recruitment blow up this fall, adding offers from Alabama, Tennessee, Nebraska, Oregon, Missouri, Kansas State, Michigan, South Carolina and Auburn over the past two months.
Ryan Puglisi (No. 39) is the biggest riser among quarterbacks in this update on the heels of multiple impressive camp showings along with an encouraging start to his junior season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has shown one of the strongest arms in the cycle. He generates considerable velocity and effortlessly drives the football to all levels. Puglisi — who committed to Georgia on Sunday — was a standout on the college camp circuit, landing offers from the Bulldogs and Alabama after throwing for each staff in June. He transferred to Avon (Conn.) Avon Old Farms for his junior season and has shown that high-end arm talent through a handful of games this season. While we’re still learning about Puglisi’s skill set as a complete quarterback, the arm talent and playmaking ability separate him from many of the other top quarterbacks at this stage.
Alabama wide receiver commit Perry Thompson (No. 58) is one of the bigger, more physically-gifted pass catchers. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has plus length with arms that measure over 33-inches and straight line speed (11.1 second 100 meter time). The Foley (Ala.) High standout is a tough two-way player at the high school level but projects as a big, physical wide receiver with the athleticism to pick up yards after the catch.
Gekyle Baker (No. 63) is another fast-rising, athletically-gifted wideout. The Brownsboro (Texas) High product has an outstanding athletic profile along with strong production. Baker is a long-striding, rangy receiver with the ability to win deep. He went for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. Baker is a three-sport standout at Brownsboro, starring on the basketball court in addition to posting a 6-4 foot high jump and 21.80 second mark in the 200 meters. Texas Tech, Houston, Texas and Baylor have offered since the season has started.
Checking in on the quarterbacks in the 2024 On300
As detailed above, Dylan Raiola, DJ Lagway and Ryan Puglisi currently rank as the top three quarterbacks in the On300. Those three look to be the top physical talents among the group at this stage, in our opinion. Aside from Lagway and Puglisi, we saw little upward movement from quarterbacks within the top 100. As we were assessing the group, it appears that the depth at the position is maybe not quite as strong as the 2023 cycle at the same stage. That is not to say many of the top quarterbacks aren’t playing well; it just doesn’t appear to be a truly loaded cycle at the position early on.
Julian Sayin (No. 47) from Carlsbad (Calif.) High continues to look like one of the more polished passers. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder has one of the quickest releases in the cycle. Jake Merklinger (No. 64) is not a high volume passer at Savannah (Ga.) Cavalry Day, but is a reactive athlete who responds to pressure well. Jadyn Davis (No. 68) transferred to Charlotte Providence Day for his junior season and is playing the most efficient football of his career to this point, distributing high percentage passes to a talented set of skill players. Josh Flowers (No. 83) is the biggest run threat of the group, already rushing for over 1,000 yards at Mobile (Ala.) Baker, while showing some encouraging playmaking ability as a passer, as well. Flowers is not nearly as polished as the others in the camp setting, but his talent shows up in pads. Prentiss Noland (No. 96) is at the dials of an uptempo offense at Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes. The lefty has shown the ability to make some nice throws down the middle of the field this season.