On3 5-Star Countdown: No. 21, TE Duce Robinson

With regular season high school football finished across the country, On3 has released its second-to-last rankings update for the 2023 recruiting cycle. Ranking as the No. 21 overall player in the 2023 On300 and earning five-star status is Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle five-star tight end Duce Robinson. He is a new five-star in the On300 and rose from a previous ranking of No. 31.

The latest edition of On3’s 2023 rankings features 26 five-star players, up from 23 in the previous update in September. Of those 26 prospects, 19 are currently committed to college programs. While some recruits may have played their last down as a high schooler, evaluations — both in-person and on tape — are far from over.

This latest ranking sets the table for the important final ranking in January 2023. That final update comes after postseason all-star games, where top prospects across the country face off in a week of practices and end with a game.

National Signing Day is also right around the corner, with the Early Signing Period starting December 21 and postseason all-star games right after that.

What makes Duce Robinson an On3 five-star recruit?

On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power breaks down why Robinson was elevated to five-star status.

“We felt really since the offseason that there’s a pretty sizable gap between Duce Robinson and the number two tight end. Based off the exposure we’ve had, he’s pretty clearly the top tight end prospect in the cycle. We operate with a pretty high bar for what constitutes a five-star tight end. It’s not a position that has a ton of top draft picks and it’s also a highly developmental position in that like a lot of your top NFL tight ends, top draft picks are guys who maybe don’t play tight end in high school or aren’t considered a tight end prospect in high school. It’s a very developmental position.

“That’s kind of all to say. We have a pretty high bar for a five-star tight end so we were probably a little conservative or a little measured in making Duce Robinson a five star. But I when you look at what he’s done as a senior, he just has unique movement skills for the position, unique athleticism. He has over 1000 yards receiving in 10 games — averaged over 100 yards a game — 10 touchdowns, 19 yards a catch. He’s essentially playing a lot of receiver for his high school but he has the frame to continue to add weight, especially once he gets in like a like a full like football training regimen is lifting weights all year. I think you’ll see him add size.

“It’s pretty rare you see like legitimate like 6-foot-6 tight end prospects returning punts for touchdowns. His strengths are just change of direction, foot quickness. I think he’s gonna project as a very good route runner at the position, which I think is really important with tight ends, just ability to separate within your outs. He has catch radius in terms of his long arms, He’ll continue to like improve and polish as a pass catcher, but the physical tools are there.” 

On3 compares Robinson’s style of play to former Alabama and current Houston Texans tight end O.J. Howard.