On3 Outliers: 2025 prospects On3 ranks higher than the recruiting industry
The new recruiting cycle is in full swing, and as spring visit season approaches, On3 has released its latest recruiting rankings for the 2025 class. Included on that list are a number of prospects that On3 is higher on than the industry’s other three services: 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.
Director of Recruiting Charles Power and national scout Cody Bellaire break down some of the biggest outliers for On3 this cycle:
OT Will Black — Notre Dame commit
On300 Ranking: No. 6
Next Highest Ranking: N/A
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Will Black makes a huge jump into the top 10, checks in as the top-ranked offensive tackle coming out of the junior season — in what we consider to be the strongest OT group, at this stage in the process, in several cycles. Black, we viewed, as having the best the best functional movement, athleticism, flexibility on film in this group. You would never know that he’s 6-foot-7. Good length and a guy who plays with outstanding control and great coordination in pass protection. A natural mover, gets underneath the pads of linemen, there’s so much that’s projectable about his skillset. He projects as a high-end pass-protector on the blind side and I think has some very encouraging moments as run-blocker as well.
…He’s going to need to continue getting stronger in his upper body, but plays with a great base, has really even weight distribution and a strong anchor at over 280 pounds. The junior film is very strong — in a projectable way. We see the skillset projecting to a high level in college football and ultimately professionally. There’s a ton to like about Will Black, he’s one that we’re really high on … he’s a huge get for Notre Dame.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
OT Ty Haywood
On300 Ranking: No. 11
Next Highest Ranking: No. 59 (Rivals)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Ty Haywood may have the highest floor of these offensive tackles, given his versatility, his play strength and physical traits. He’s 6-foot-5, around 280 pounds, plus-length with a 7-foot wingspan. He’s a bull at the point of attack. Extremely strong, kind of a dominant run-blocker, works the second level and gets on linebackers easily. Once he’s engaged with a defensive lineman, it’s typically game over. Very strong, and you can see the strength is validated with his shot put. He’s a 55-foot shot-putter, an elite thrower in track. That’s a good indicator of explosive power and that’s what we see on film when you watch Ty Haywood on Friday nights.
…Also has very good reactive-quickness in his pass set. I think he’s a guy who has a very high floor among this OT group. A guy who I could see entering college as the most ready-to-play of this group, given his play strength, versatility and well-rounded game.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
ATH Michael Terry
On300 Ranking: No. 14
Next Highest Ranking: No. 50 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Michael Terry is the definition of dynamic, anytime he touches the football he is a threat to score. As a receiver this past season, Terry had 500+ yards and scored 10 touchdowns. His ability to get vertical and separate with his top-end speed, especially for his size, is incredibly impressive as well as his natural ball skills and strong hands at the catch point. At nearly 6-foot-3, 215 pounds with a 6-foot-6 wingspan, Terry runs almost 11-flat in the 100m dash and has jumped a ridiculous personal best of 6-foot-4 in the high jump. As a running back, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has such natural rushing skills with immense balance, vision and acceleration at nearly 220 pounds that makes him an absolute pest for defenders to bring down.
…Terry is also the primary return man for Alamo Heights (TX) and flashes his loose hips and make-you-miss ability in that phase of his game as well. His physical frame and movement skills can translate to both receiver and running back at the next level. Regardless of what position he ends up playing at the next level and beyond, whatever program lands his signature will be getting one of the premier physical specimens in the entire 2025 recruiting cycle.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout
QB Matt Zollers
On300 Ranking: No. 17
Next Highest Ranking: No. 148 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Matt Zollers is a quarterback that we’ve been high on for some time at On3. He was a four-star outlier for us in the mid-season junior update with just one Power Five offer. Has since seen his recruitment explode and I think that’s certainly with good reason. His play-making ability, I think stacks up perhaps the best that we’ve evaluated among this QB group — at least what he showed as a junior. He’s got the projectable, physical traits. Over 6-foot-3.5, 200 pounds, very good athlete, tests well in the combine setting and it’s in a functional way, you see it on Friday nights. He can really make improvisational, creative plays. Big-time arm, can push the ball vertically, you see him make 60-plus yard throws on Fridays with accuracy. Had a really strong junior season, there’s not many holes to poke in Zollers’ game.
…Threw for close to 3,000 yards, over 10 yards an attempt, 37 touchdowns, two interceptions, 420 rushing yards and seven TDs. A guy who has that play-making gene and I think his ability to make individual, improv plays — as a runner and creator and with his arm as well — is really encouraging. He put a lot of strong film together, his highlight video, you could make the case, is the best we saw of the QBs. Newer onto the scene nationally than a lot of these other top QBs, so looking forward to seeing him in neutral settings. The stats, the physical traits line up as good as anyone in this cycle at QB.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
OT Broderick Shull
On300 Ranking: No. 18
Next Highest Ranking: N/A
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Broderick Shull has a case, along with David Sanders, as the twitchiest offensive tackle in this elite group of OTs. This guy is a big-time athlete, he has a big frame, 6-foot-5.5, 275 pounds, 34-inch arm, 10.5-inch hand, elite combine athlete. He looks athletic on film, if not more athletic. He moves at a different speed than nearly all of the other offensive tackles we’ve evaluated. Almost looks like a top defensive lineman playing OT, meaning that as a considerable compliment. Just a ferocious run-blocker, a guy who the twitch jumps off the screen, and it’s validated in every way. Going to need to continue to add polish as a pass-protector, but the physical ability is there in spades. A big-time physical talent and had a very strong junior season with strong film.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
EDGE Isaiah Gibson
On300 Ranking: No. 24
Next Highest Ranking: No. 83 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Isaiah Gibson is a complete monster and physical freak. Gibson is a broad-shouldered 6-foot-4, 240 pounds with an absolutely absurd 7-foot wingspan. Gibson’s length for his height is genuinely incredible and it allows him to consistently initiate contact by striking his opponents first and keeping them at a distance which allows him to essentially displace blockers with minimal resistance. Combine his length with his tremendous movement skills and you have a disgustingly high upside prospect at the EDGE position. During the spring camp circuit prior to his senior season he flashed fluidity and loose hips when turning the corner and working through individual position drills. When you turn the film on you see an explosive rusher whose motor allows him to constantly apply pressure to opposing offenses. — Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout
On300 Ranking: No. 25
Next Highest Ranking: No. 189 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Jackson Lloyd appears to be the top offensive lineman in the West Coast by a good margin. He’s a guy who is a little off the beaten path, from the Monterey Peninsula in Carmel, Calif., not a place that’s highly trafficked by college recruiters. He’s a guy that has the profile of what you look for as a high-upside, projectable offensive lineman. Three-sport athlete, playing baseball and basketball at a high level. Does not play top competition, but has very encouraging film. 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, a reported 7-foot wingspan and is a very light-footed, fluid and coordinated athlete. The film is dominant, as you would hope for, for a top prospect playing that level of competition.
…The multi-sport profile is also really encouraging, he is an extremely-good high school basketball player. The way he carries his weight and moves, I think, is very projectable at the position. There’s no doubt he stacks up in this top group, we came away from watching the junior film, learning about him and gathering information thinking he was the top OL on the West Coast.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
EDGE Smith Orogbo
On300 Ranking: No. 26
Next Highest Ranking: N/A
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Two of the most important traits for any EDGE defender is their ability to burst off the snap of the football and consistently play at 100mph for all four quarters. Smith Orogbo possesses both of these traits and has the production to match. Orogbo tallied 9 sacks during this past season and accumulated over 100 tackles as an EDGE defender which is ridiculously impressive at any level of football. His combination of balance, body control and closing speed makes him a complete menace in space and essentially impossible to lay a hand on as an opposing offensive linemen. And at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds with extraordinary length, he has plenty of room to physically develop and add mass to his frame while maintaining his athletic prowess.
…The biggest question for Orogbo at this point is his raw power, but as he continues to add mass and develop functional strength, he will naturally become more powerful at the point of attack and turn into a force against the run. The arrow is pointing up for Orogbo and we believe he will continue to trend that direction for quite some time.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout
IOL Tyler Miller
On300 Ranking: No. 32
Next Highest Ranking: No. 155 (Rivals)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “Tyler Miller has been in the top 100 for On3 for several months. A guy who could play multiple positions on the offensive line. Got to see him in person at the Atlanta Under Armour camp, he is really well-built at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds. Has plus length with 34-plus inch arms. A violent, physical run-blocker. Going to need to continue to develop in pass protection, and I think his skillset right now projects most seamlessly on the interior, but he’s a good athlete, fluid mover and a guy who, when you look at the pure physical ability and his ready-made size, projects well.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
ATH Lance Jackson — Texas commit
On300 Ranking: No. 39
Next Highest Ranking: No. 118 (Rivals)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: “When we talk about jumbo athletes, we are talking about players whose frames and athletic gifts allow them to do things on a football field that are usually left to more slight or compact body types. But Lance Jackson is not an athlete that should be even remotely close to being described as slight or compact even though his movement skills are reminiscent of those who normally would lean towards those specific descriptors. At 6-foot-5, 250+ pounds, Lance Jackson has tremendous body control and foot speed for a prospect of his stature. Stature that clearly runs in the family as his brother Landon Jackson, who is currently playing along the defensive front for Arkansas, is listed on their roster at 6-foot-7, 281 pounds. Lance Jackson’s size is impressive, but not as impressive as his skillset on both sides of the football. Jackson starts on both sides of the football for Pleasant Grove (TX) at tight end and defensive end. As a tight end prospect, he can stick his foot in the ground and separate from defenders as well as high point the football comfortably.
…On the defensive side of the ball he shows excellent explosiveness when firing off the football and has a great combination of speed and power in his pass rush as well as the necessary functional strength in order to set the edge as a run defender. Jackson’s biggest question mark in terms of where he ends up playing at the next level will be determined by his physical development. As he continues to grow and add mass, he could potentially kick inside and make his greatest impact as an interior defender or even turn into a highly sought-after offensive tackle. However, if he were to settle in the 260-275 pound range, Jackson could easily dominate on either side of the ball at the next level as a traditional in-line Y tight end on offense or as a strong-side end on the defensive side of the ball. As long as he can maintain his athletic ability as he grows into his frame, the sky is the limit for his potential and we are looking forward to seeing his development as an athlete and as a player as he heads into his senior season.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout