Biggest risers in the final 2024 On300 rankings

On3’s final ranking of the 2024 class was released this morning and a number of top prospects made significant jumps since the most recent ranking in November. 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 were among the biggest risers in the nation, cementing themselves as some of the best recruits in the entire class.

4-star EDGE Lugard Edokpayi — Michigan signee

School: Bowie (Md.) Bishop McNamara
On300 Ranking: No. 40 (up from No. 182)

Scout’s Take: “Lugard Edokpayi has an argument for having one of the highest upsides among the pass-rushers and EDGE prospects. He’s a guy who was one of the biggest late-bloomers in the cycle, didn’t receive his first Power Five offer until early in his senior season. He looks to be a big-time talent at the position. He’s over 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, has elite length and a big frame, I think he’s going to have no problem adding a bunch of weight once he gets in Michigan’s strength program and has time to fill out. He has a basketball background and it’s easy to see, he’s a twitchy athlete, a guy who can fly off the edge. Has surprising play-strength as well, I think he’s going to be a player who looks quite different after a year or two at Michigan. He fits the mold of the type of EDGE prospect Michigan has signed in the past — high upside, developmental types who might take a couple of years to add size, strength and experience, but his upside is a high draft pick if he develops like he has the potential to. — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

4-star OT Gus Hawkins — Kansas State signee

School: Shawnee (Kan.) Mill Valley
On300 Ranking: No. 52 (up from No. 251)

Scout’s Take: “Gus Hawkins is a big riser in the On300 after showing very encouraging strides as a senior. Hawkins put together fantastic senior film while leading his team to a state title. He’s only played offensive line for a handful of years and really has continued to develop his body and has a lot of positive indicators for the position. He’s over 6-foot-6, 285 pounds with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. A guy who was a top basketball player and it’s easy to see that athleticism transfer over to the field. He’s a very fluid, functional mover, plays with outstanding leverage and has developed into a really talented run-blocker. Hawkins has a bunch of developmental upside with his athleticism and his movement skills. Once he gets up to speed in pass protection, I think his upside is quite high when looking at how he stacks up in the offensive tackle group.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

4-star EDGE Noah Carter — Alabama commit

School: Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial
On300 Ranking: No. 57 (up from No. 132)

Scout’s Take: “Noah Carter is a prospect that we’ve been high on at On3 for a majority of the cycle. He is a twitched-up, athletic speed-rusher, a guy who has been in the On300 for seemingly years. He continued to improve and show a lot of progress as a senior. Carter has outstanding first-step quickness, he has the ability to bend around the edge, just a very fluid and coordinated athlete and you see that not only in defense but offense, where he makes highlights, one-handed grabs, contested catches and he is just a natural, pure athlete. We saw him at the All-American Bowl and the first thing that stood out was his size more than checks out. He’s 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, had a very good week at practice and I think once he gets to Alabama and focuses solely on defense and gets into their strength program, I think there is a bunch of upside as a pass-rusher off the edge.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

4-star RB Peyton Lewis — Tennessee signee

School: Salem (Va.)
On300 Ranking: No. 67 (up from No. 131)

Scout’s Take: “Peyton Lewis has one of the strongest overall résumés and bodies of work among the running back group. I would not be shocked if Lewis ends up being the top RB prospect from this cycle, I think he certainly has that ability. For starters, he is physically gifted at 6-foot, 190-pounds, has a rocked-up build and is a track star. But this is not a track athlete playing RB, this is a RB who happens to be a track athlete. Had a fantastic senior season, leading his team to a state championship appearance, ran for over 2,100 yards and 30 touchdowns at over 10 yards per carry. I think his senior season was the best among top RB prospects when you look at the load he carried for his team, his production, the fact that he played both ways, played safety and linebacker a little bit — and did it as a receiver and a return man as well. I think his RB skillset translates really well to the position, given his breakaway speed, his ability to run through contact, he spins out of tackles at a high rate and also can catch the ball out of the backfield and make plays in space. There’s a lot to like about Lewis, I think he is certainly worthy of his bump and is a big get for Tennessee.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

4-star LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa — Notre Dame signee

School: Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco
On300 Ranking: No. 83 (up from No. 167)

Scout’s Take: “Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa was someone that we NEEDED to see in person to get a true sense of his athleticism in reference to some of the top athletes in the country on both sides of the ball. His senior tape was phenomenal. He triggers to the football quickly, he beats offensive linemen to their spots in the run game and he is violent at the point of attack. But could he do that with some of the best players in the country around him? Answer: Yes, yes he could. In fact, he truly shined in a setting where linebackers can easily find themselves being muted by splash plays from mostly skill players on the outside. His performance reminded us a lot of 2023 LSU signee Whit Weeks at the same event for the previous cycle. Weeks was able to see the field often for the Tigers in his freshman campaign and if that’s any indication for Viliamu-Asa’s future, Notre Dame fans should be excited for his arrival.” — On3 Rankings and Scouting Assistant Cody Bellaire

4-star EDGE Booker Pickett — Miami signee

School: Tampa Wharton
On300 Ranking: No. 88 (up from No. 300)

Scout’s Take: “Booker Pickett showed us in an All-Star setting that he was an unblockable force as a pass rusher. During the entire week at the Under Armour All-American game he was torching offensive tackles off the line of scrimmage and was barely getting touched on his way to the quarterback. His get off and burst is genuinely rare. And even though he is a bit on the leaner side for pass rushers, his athleticism allows him to win at an extremely high rate as a rusher and he can be a factor in the passing game as a flat and space defender.” — On3 Rankings and Scouting Assistant Cody Bellaire

4-star QB Walker White – Auburn signee

School: Little Rock (Ark.) Christian Academy
On300 Ranking: No. 95 (up from No. 199)

Scout’s Take: “Walker White moved into the top 100 after really finishing his senior season on a strong note, led his team to a state title berth and I thought got better and better as his senior season went on. White has one of the better physical skillsets among this QB group nationally, he looks like he could go out and play a college game right now. He is a well-built 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, is a good athlete and has a strong arm. He’s a guy who shows the ability to make a lot of the throws in addition to picking up yards with his legs. I think the biggest thing for White is going to be continuing to become more consistent and improving his accuracy and overall consistency on a throw-to-throw basis. We like his upside and I think the improvements he made as a senior, along with what he showed at the All-American Bowl, we found to be pretty encouraging.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

4-star CB Jo’Ziah Edmond – Michigan signee

School: Nappanee (Ind.) Northwood
On300 Ranking: No. 101 (up from No. 252)

Scout’s Take: “Jo’Ziah Edmond is such a physical player at the line of scrimmage. His length and hand usage in press man coverage is extremely advanced for a senior coming out of high school. Combine that with his instincts and ability to play the football in the air and you have a player who has a chance to develop long term and still make an instant impact early on in his college career.” — On3 Rankings and Scouting Assistant Cody Bellaire

4-star WR Kylan Billiot — LSU signee

School: Houma (La.) Terrebonne
On300 Ranking: No. 108 (was unranked 3-star)

Scout’s Take: “Kylan Billiot has always been one of the more physically and athletically gifted wide receivers in the 2024 cycle. However, his limited experience with football made us question his his true ceiling as a wide receiver long term. But he put those questions to bed with a stellar performance during the week at the Adidas All-American game. He proved he has the ability to separate from top competition at all levels of the field and he can win at the catch point consistently. He’s a stock up player whose best football is undoubtedly ahead of him.” — On3 Rankings and Scouting Assistant Cody Bellaire

4-star DL Jide Abasiri – USC signee

School: Savage (Minn.) Prior Lake
On300 Ranking: No. 119 (up from No. 284)

Scout’s Take: “Jide Abasiri was a late flip to USC from Minnesota and it’s easy to see why the Trojans were so eager to flip the interior defensive lineman from Prior Lake, MN. The 6-foot-5, 280 pound Abasiri boasts a nearly 7-foot wingspan and has tremendous body control and balance for someone with his stature. Combine that with his short area quickness, ability to understand leverage and hand usage and you have an absolute monster along the interior. His multi-sport background in wrestling and track and field is on full display when watching his senior film. He will continue to physically develop at the collegiate level and has one of the higher ceilings of any player in the country.” — On3 Rankings and Scouting Assistant Cody Bellaire