Where the top cornerbacks in the 2024 cycle are committed
For many of the top prospects in the nation, high school football regular seasons will begin this week. As kickoffs ensue around the country, many coveted recruits have already made their college decisions.
The 2024 cycle is chock-full of elite talent in the secondary, especially at cornerback. There are 13 CBs ranked as top-100 overall prospects, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Of those 13, 12 are currently committed.
Below are the top committed cornerbacks in the On3 Industry Ranking and where they have pledged.
Ellis Robinson IV — Georgia
School: Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 4 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $330K
Scouting Summary: “Ball-hawking cornerback with plus length, ball skills and refined movement skills. Has shown the ability to make high-level plays on the ball throughout his high school career. Measured close to 6-feet, 175 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length for the position with arms that measure a shade under 33 inches. Dominated competition in New York’s Catholic league as a sophomore, bringing in eight interceptions. Made several impressive, acrobatic picks. Moved to IMG Academy as a junior, where he looked like the top defensive back on the Ascenders’ loaded roster. Made strides as a junior relative to his technical skills. Pairs his length and ball skills with refined footwork. Understands routes and generally stays in phase. Embraces matchups against top receivers and is willing to get physical at the line of scrimmage. Also tests as a good athlete in the combine setting. While his speed is good, he does not register as elite for the position. Can continue getting stronger and adding good mass once in a college strength program.”
Charles Lester III — Florida State
School: Venice (Fla.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 20 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $324K
Scouting Summary: “Two-way standout as a receiver and cornerback who has one of the more intriguing upsides among the 2024 cornerback group. Measured at around 6-foot-1, 170 pounds prior to his senior season. Has unverified length. Hip fluidity and ball skills stand out. Shows the ability to consistently and naturally catch the football away from his frame. Can flip his hips with ease in man coverage. Breaks on the ball quickly in zone coverage. Flashes a high quality short area quickness and excellent trigger to the football. A willing tackler with solid physicality and ability to play in the box. High level ball production as a junior, picking off five passes. Also makes plays at receiver, showing off his ball skills and change of direction. A tough runner with the ball in his hands. Lacks verified top end speed.”
Aaron Scott Jr — Ohio State
School: Springfield (Ohio)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 42 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $181K
Scouting Summary: “Coordinated corner with some of the best film and ball skills at the position in 2024. Measured in at a shade over 6-feet and around 180 pounds at Under Armour’s Ohio camp prior to his senior season. Has good length for the position. Tacked on solid weight over the course of his junior year. Tests as a good athlete in the combine setting. Showed good speed in his junior track season, running a personal best of 11.05 seconds in the 100 meters. A standout corner on Friday nights who gives up very little through the air. Does a phenomenal job of playing through receivers’ hands. Has high level ball production, with 5 interceptions and 7 pass breakups as a junior. Uses his length and coordination to make plays on the football at a high rate. Shows good coverage instincts overall, particularly when defending vertical routes. Can improve his trigger and break on the ball. One of the younger prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle, turning 18 years-old in the summer prior to his freshman year of college.”
Bryce West — Ohio State
School: Cleveland Glenville
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 50 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $174K
Scouting Summary: “Physical corner with tremendous mirror ability who is not afraid to lay the wood. Shows excellent ball skills and does an outstanding job of finding the football in-phase. Twitchy athlete who is comfortable playing press and press-bail coverage. Serious weapon in the return game on kickoff and punt. Ran 7.01 in the 60m in 2022. And also ran 10.91 in the 100m and 22.22 in the 200m in 2021. Solid lowers, will naturally add more mass to his uppers as he physically develops.”
Zabien Brown — Alabama
School: Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 55 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $158K
Scouting Summary: “Polished, battled tested cornerback who stars for one of the nation’s top high school programs. Listed at around 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with unverified length. Primarily lines up on the outside for Mater Deil. Shows good ball skills, picking off 3 passes and breaking up 5 more as a junior. Comfortable reading the quarterback’s eyes and jumping short routes. Plays both press and off coverage. Comfortable lining up in man against top receivers. Plays with good technique, getting his hands on receivers to disrupt routes. A solid tackler in open space. Play speed and trigger are adequate, but wins more with technique and instincts. Speed registers as solid to average, as he typically runs in the 11.2-11.3 second range in the 100 meters. Can continue getting stronger. Older for the cycle, turning 18 years old during his junior season. Will be a 20 year-old as a true freshman.”
Wardell Mack — Florida
School: Marrero (La.) John Ehret
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 72 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $128K
Scouting Summary: “Smooth moving defensive back with the length and playmaking ability to make an impact as a cornerback or safety. Measured in at around 6-foot-0.5, 170 pounds prior to his senior season. Has elite length for the position with arms that measure 33.75 inches. Shows the ability to stick with receivers, using his length and movement skills to stay in-phase. Physical in press coverage, using his length to reroute receivers at the line of scrimmage. Shows loose hips and is fluid when changing directions. Has refined footwork with a very smooth backpedal in the camp setting. A willing downhill defender, not scared of contact or being physical as a tackler. Shows solid top-end speed, but not look to be top-tier in that regard. Ball skills are good not great, as he does not look to be the most natural pass catcher. Is still comfortable playing the ball at the catch point, getting his hands on the football. Viewed as a high floor prospect who could see an immediate role as a nickel corner at the next level and eventually developing into a field corner. Relatively young for the class, turning 18 in April of his senior year of high school.”
Corian Gipson — Clemson
School: Lancaster (Texas)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 74 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $119K
Scouting Summary: “Smooth defensive back with the speed and skills to play multiple spots in the secondary. Has a thin build, checking in at around 6-feet, 165 pounds with a 6-foot-2.5 wing-span at the Under Armour Dallas camp prior to his senior season. Turns in strong marks as a sprinter in track and field. Consistently runs sub 11 seconds in the 100 meters, with a personal best of 10.62 seconds as a junior. Has lined up at both corner and safety for Lancaster, but is starting to look more and more like a cornerback prospect as his career progresses. At ease covering outside or in the slot. Has relatively refined footwork in coverage. Transitions easily. Shows the top end speed to run with receivers on vertical routes. Triggers quickly in defending underneath routes. Will need to tack on considerable mass to his thin frame. Did not have a ton of ball production as a junior.”
Selman Bridges — Arkansas
School: Temple (Texas) Lake Belton
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 76 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $116K
Scouting Summary: “Tall corner with quick feet and coverage instincts. Among the taller top cornerbacks in the 2024 cycle. Has a thin build, checking in at close to 6-foot-3 and under 160 pounds in the off-season prior to his senior year. Has good length for the position with 32-inch arms. Posted a 4.27 short shuttle at Under Armour’s Dallas camp. Flashes that change of direction on Friday nights. Lines up as an outside cornerback for Lake Belton. Shows strong instincts in coverage. Reads and jumps routes. Does a nice job in changing gears to stay in phase. Shows encouraging fluidity for a taller corner with his ability to redirect. Picked off two passes in addition to six pass breakups as a junior. Looks to be quicker than top-end fast. Will need to add considerable mass to his thin frame at the next level.”
Demello Jones — Georgia
School: Swainsboro (Ga.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 77 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $123K
About: Committed to the Bulldogs on March 17. Took three visits to Athens, including an official in June. Has visited Alabama since, but is “locked in” with UGA. “I think I have a relationship with them that I have with no other school. It’s a homestate school and I love it. I have a great relationship with the coaches so it would be hard to flip me away from them,” Jones said.
Marcelles Williams — USC
School: Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 88 overall
On3 NIL Valuation: $133K
About: Committed to the Trojans on June 18. Has taken eight visits in total, the last of which was his official on June 16 that finally led to his pledge. “They’ve shown me it’s not the same old USC that I’ve been to the past four or five years,” Williams told WeAreSC in June. “It’s a lot different, there’s a lot energy and it’s very organized.”