Biggest risers in the final 2023 On300 rankings

As part of On3’s final ranking of the 2023 class that was released this morning, a number of top prospects were among the biggest risers between the most recent ranking in November and now. Our scouting and rankings team evaluated not only their regular season senior year film, but also performances in the playoffs and postseason all-star games and practices.

These 10 prospects made particularly large jumps and cemented themselves as some of the nation’s truly elite recruits.

5-star LB Suntarine Perkins – Ole Miss signee

School: Raleigh (Miss.)
On300 Ranking: No. 21 (up from No. 78)

Scouting Take: “The train started rolling once we got a look at Suntarine Perkins at the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game. Being able to see his frame and length combined with his ability to cover sideline to sideline was so impressive. He also tackled very well in space and was confident in his run fits. We wanted to see if he was able to stack on top of that performance at the UA All-American Game, and he did. He was confident in coverage and was able to run with some of the best athletes in the country.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star CB Ja’Keem Jackson – Florida signee

School: Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola
On300 Ranking: No. 40 (up from No. 91)

Scouting Take: “After seeing him at the UA All-American Game, it was very clear that Ja’Keem Jackson’s upside was sky high. The physicality he put on display in 1-on-1’s during practice throughout the week was eye-opening. He was consistently in phase and showed that someone with his stature could flip his hips and run with anyone on the field.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star ATH Jelani McDonald – Texas signee

School: Waco (Texas) Connally
On300 Ranking: No. 41 (up from No. 82)

Scouting Take: “Jelani McDonald might have been one of the most pleasant surprises we saw during our all-star circuit travels. He is such a physically impressive defensive back, and the fact he worked out at corner during the All-American Bowl and didn’t look out of place whatsoever was phenomenal. He truly is a swiss army knife on defense and cemented his status as the most versatile defensive player in the country.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star TE Andrew Rappelayea – Penn State signee

School: Millbrook (N.Y.) Milton Academy
On300 Ranking: No. 49 (up from No. 80)

Scouting Take: “For Andrew Rappelayea, it really came down to checking boxes. You sit there and ask yourself “what does a TE have to do in order to project to the next level?” And he checks a lot of them. Size, fluidity as a route runner, wide catch radius, willing and physical blocker, high point ability. He does all of that and his senior tape showed it. He may have some of the best senior tape of any tight end in the country.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star CB Vicari Swain – South Carolina signee

School: Carrollton (Ga.) Central
On300 Ranking: No. 51 (up from No. 104)

Scouting Take: “Vicari Swain is truly one of the most athletic players in America. His movement skills and overall athleticism shine on his senior tape. We knew he was explosive with some of the testing data he put together during the summer prior to his senior season, but he really put it all together as a senior and we were extremely impressed.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star LB Samuel Omosigho – Oklahoma signee

School: Crandall (Texas)
On300 Ranking: No. 52 (up from No. 100)

Scouting Take: “As a prospect from smaller town where he was asked to play multiple positions on both sides of the ball, we needed to see Samuel Omosigho’s ability to play off-ball linebacker with our own eyes and see how he handled the increase in speed of the game. At the All-American Bowl he proved that the game was not too fast for him, and he showed the willingness to stick his head into traffic and get physical with some of the top prospects in the country. — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star TE Pearce Spurlin – Georgia signee

School: Santa Rosa Beach (Fla.) South Walton
On300 Ranking: No. 73 (up from No. 117)

Scouting Take: “Coming off the shoulder injury that sidelined him for the majority of his senior season, we obviously wanted to see if Pearce Spurlin had recovered and returned to form. He answered that emphatically putting on an impressive week of practice at the All-American Bowl. His willingness to be physical as a blocker and high point the football and show off his catch radius coming off the shoulder injury was enough for us to give him the seal of approval. — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star QB Sam Leavitt – Michigan State signee

School: Portland (Ore.) West Linn
On300 Ranking: No. 76 (up from No. 141)

Scouting Take: “Honestly, Sam Leavitt may have put together the most impressive senior season out of all of the top quarterbacks in the country. He threw for over 3,000 yards, ran for over 1,000 yards, threw 36 passing TD’s, ran for 8 rushing TD’s with only 5 interceptions and nearly a 70% completion rate. He put on an absolute show as a senior and he deserved his bump in the ratings.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star LB Whit Weeks – LSU signee

School: Watkinsville (Ga.) Oconee County
On300 Ranking: No. 110 (up from No. 233)

Scouting Take: “Whit Weeks was one of the most impressive linebackers we saw throughout our All-American game travels in what was a very strong group. His rating history for us has been more of a roller coaster. The film has always been excellent but the athletic testing was always underwhelming. We just had never been sure if he was going to be able to run with top competition. After the Adidas All-American Bowl he showed us that not only could he run with top competition, he could dominate top competition.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

4-star CB Jordan Matthews – Tennessee signee

School: Baton Rouge (La.) Woodlawn
On300 Ranking: No. 122 (up from No. 224)

Scouting Take: “Jordan Matthews was definitely someone we had our eye on going into their senior season to see if they matched their track speed to their play speed. He has always been a burner on the track but it didn’t exactly translate to the field as a junior. Senior year? Different story. He was running people down all year long, showed he could play center field and cover to the sideline and still be physical when playing in the box. Matthews senior season was a strong improvement compared to last season.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant