Meet the new 5-stars in the final 2024 On300 rankings

The final 2024 On300 rankings have been released and 32 prospects now hold five-star status. The illustrious group features 13 new names compared to the most recent ranking in November. On3’s 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.

Below are the prospects that got the final bump and will finish atop the rest of the pack in the 2024 cycle:

EDGE Jordan Ross — Tennessee signee

School: Birmingham (Ala.) Vestavia Hills
Previous Ranking: No. 38
New Ranking: No. 7

Scout’s Take: “Jordan Ross is the most complete edge defender the 2024 recruiting cycle. His ability to dominate against the run AND the pass makes him a true three-down defender that can win with power and speed. His athleticism shines in relentless pursuit of ball carriers in the open field and in his pass rush game with his burst off the snap and looseness in his hips and ankles when bending the corner. In the All-Star setting he started his reign of terror during the week of practice at the Under Armour All-American game where he was by far the most disruptive defensive player at the entire event. He continued his run of dominance at the Polynesian Bowl where he found himself living in the backfield and making plays from sideline to sideline throughout the game. Ross’ athleticism isn’t contained on the gridiron though, his bounce and explosiveness is on full display in the hardwood as well with one of the better dunk reels you’ll see from an edge defender.” — On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant Cody Bellaire

EDGE Marquise Lightfoot — Miami signee

School: Chicago Kenwood Academy
Previous Ranking: No. 43
New Ranking: No. 10

Scout’s Take: “We were able to see a majority of the top EDGE prospects in the 2024 cycle over the course of both national all-star games and came away thinking Marquise Lightfoot showed the best speed rush of the group. Lightfoot, in my opinion, also has the best motor of any defender we evaluated in 2024. He is a hair-on-fire defender, a guy who runs sideline to sideline, never gives up on a play. You will see him run down plays 40 or 50 yards downfield, he checks a lot of the boxes as an EDGE prospect. He’s 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, has plus length and a big frame – I think he’s going to add significant weight once he’s in Miami’s program. In the combine setting, he is one of, if not the top athlete among EDGEs in the cycle. Just a dynamic athlete with outstanding change of direction and play-speed. We saw that as a junior, and the limited amount he played as a senior, but was dynamic when he was on the field. Then, of course in the All-American Bowl where he was the top EDGE performer throughout the week, capped off with a really great game. His speed, fluidity and ability to disrupt off the edge, in addition to making plays in backside pursuit is outstanding. We felt he was a no-doubt five-star and one who is at the top of the group.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

WR TJ Moore — Clemson signee

School: Tampa Catholic
Previous Ranking: No. 33
New Ranking: No. 13

Scout’s Take: “TJ Moore was knocking on the door of five-star status going into the All-American Bowl and by the end of the week, we came away thinking he was a complete no-brainer as a five-star prospect. Moore has the résumé and the skillset of a five-star. He is highly productive on Friday nights, had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, had one of the best statistical seasons among top WR prospects — catching 50 passes for 1,272 yards and 17 touchdowns, he had over 25 yards per catch. His skill level is extremely high, I think it is only rivaled by Jeremiah Smith in this receiver group. That encompasses his route-running ability, his ball skills, at 6-foot-2.5, 195 pounds, Moore is an outstanding route-runner, consistently breaks off corners with his change of direction and has the most consistent hands that we saw of any receiver this cycle. He made a number of highlight grabs, one-handed catches, jump balls, catches in traffic, you name it and he’s coming down with it. He was the On3 MVP of the All-American Bowl practices and game. I think he also has a very strong athletic profile. He runs an 11.1 100-meters, 6-foot-3 high-jumper, in addition to his skill level. We’re very bullish on Moore, he’s a guy who is certainly one of the top receiving prospects in this cycle.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

ATH Terry Bussey — Texas A&M commit

School: Timpson (Texas)
Previous Ranking: No. 30
New Ranking: No. 15

Scout’s Take: “Terry Bussey is one of the most electric football players the state of Texas has ever seen at the high school level. The two-way star is truly a game wrecker no matter where he lines up between the white lines. Whether he plays college ball on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, Bussey will have to be accounted for by the opposing coordinators. He is one of the most dynamic players with the ball in his hands on offense. He eclipsed over 11,000 total yards in his high school career and scored nearly 180 total touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball he tallied nearly 30 interceptions and brought down nearly 300 ball carriers. Absolutely ridiculous production throughout his high school career and was a standout performer on the track and hardwood garnering more accolades in those sports as well. Bussey showcased his ability on both sides of the ball in the All-Star setting as a twitchy, strong-handed weapon on offense during the week at the Under Armour All-American game and coming down with an interception on defense at the Polynesian Bowl. Bussey is one of the most gifted two-way stars in the country and will find success whether he finds his home on offense, defense or both sides of the ball at the next level.” — On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant Cody Bellaire

CB Zay Mincey – Alabama signee

School: Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland
Previous Ranking: No. 24
New Ranking: No. 17

Scout’s Take: “Zay Mincey has the best pure physical traits among top corners in the 2024 cycle. Checking in at around 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with outstanding length, he’s a plus athlete. A guy who is a multi-sport athlete, strong triple-jumper, tests very well in the combine setting and is also a good basketball player. He was considered a safety throughout much of his recruitment, but played as a big boundary corner as a senior and we think he has very good upside there. He was a top corner prospect for us at the All-American Bowl, got better as the week went on, and I think he’s a guy that, given his pure physical ability, is just scratching the surface in his potential. His best football is certainly ahead of him and I think he’s going to take off once he gets in a college program.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

OT Guerby Lambert — Notre Dame signee

School: West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial
Previous Ranking: No. 22
New Ranking: No. 18

Scout’s Take: “Guerby Lambert has one of the highest floors in the country across all positions. His size combined with his athleticism and technique is rare for a senior coming out of high school. His ability in the run game will allow him to potentially plug-and-play at the next level. He is strong and violent at the point of attack and plays with a mean streak. Not to mention his hips and knee bend are stellar which allows him to win the leverage battle with defenders as soon as the ball is snapped. In pass protection he is calm, cool and collected. He is rarely off-balanced and plays with a poise and patience that is ahead of his time. Lambert is arguably the safest offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting cycle.” — On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant Cody Bellaire

CB Demello Jones – Georgia signee

School: Swainsboro (Ga.)
Previous Ranking: No. 58
New Ranking: No. 21

Scout’s Take: “Demello Jones has been a steady riser for On3 throughout the process and had a fantastic senior season at Swainsboro, leading them to a state title appearance. He has good size at around 6-foot-0.5, 180 pounds, strong athletic profile. Very good track athlete who won the 100-meter state championship as a junior, also a strong high-jumper and triple-jumper, a double-digit scorer in basketball. You see that athleticism on the field on Friday nights where he has had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Dynamic playmaker, also plays corner, had a pick-six in the state title game. He’s a guy who has a lot of natural ability and has steadily gotten better throughout the course of the cycle and is a guy who we came away after watching the film, looking at him in coverage, seeing the athletic ability, going back and looking at the total profile, he came away as our third corner and is a big get for Georgia.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

DL Dominick McKinley – LSU commit

School: Lafayette (La.) Acadiana
Previous Ranking: No. 37
New Ranking: No. 24

Scout’s Take: “Dominick McKinley is a prospect who put on an unbelievable performance during the week at the Under Armour All-America game. Standing in at 6-foot-5+, nearly 285 pounds, McKinley has absurd twitch and body control. He was shockingly impressive when it came to getting skinny and knifing through the offensive line to get after the quarterback and ball carriers. His explosion and length along the interior defensive line was simply not fair for his opponents as he was constantly disruptive throughout the week. Combine that with his fantastic production as a senior garnering 10 sacks and 11 tackles for loss and you have a player who has shown immense development in his skillset and has raised his ceiling to another level.” — On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant Cody Bellaire

QB Luke Kromenhoek — Florida State signee

School: Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military
Previous Ranking: No. 31
New Ranking: No. 26

Scout’s Take: “Luke Kromenhoek has one of the highest upsides at the QB position. We view him as the best QB prospect to sign with Florida State since Jameis Winston. One of the strongest arms in the cycle, he has a quick release, can throw with velocity to all levels, can push the ball downfield and has prototypical tools at the position with his arm strength and his athleticism. Just a two-year starter at the varsity level, so he’s a little more inexperienced than most of his blue-chip peers, so I think he’s going to need time to continue to add seasoning, improving his decision-making and overall consistency. After a year or two, learning under Mike Norvell and the staff at Florida State, I think he’s got a ton of upside and is a guy who could develop into a top college QB and potentially a top draft pick just based off his physical ability and what he’s shown to this point. Obviously has a lot of natural talent and was the pretty clear third QB in the cycle, in our opinion.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

IOL Cooper Cousins — Penn State signee

School: Erie (Pa.) McDowell
Previous Ranking: No. 110
New Ranking: No. 27

Scout’s Take: “If I had to give a superlative for meanest player in the country, Cooper Cousins might just be the recipient of that honor. His film is littered with bodies getting thrown across the field and buried in the dirt. Granted, the quality of competition may not be the toughest when compared to some other schools across the country. However, Cousins continued flipping pancakes during the week at All-American bowl as he made his presence felt from day 1 of practice all the way through gameday. He is as ready-made of a prospect along the interior offense line as any and he proved he can be dominant in pass protection as well in the all-star setting. Cousins is a player who you love having on your team and absolutely hate to play against. He’s an ass-kicker.” — On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant Cody Bellaire

TE Caleb Odom – Alabama signee

School: Carrollton (Ga.)
Previous Ranking: No. 28
New Ranking: No. 30

Scout’s Take: “Call him a tight end, call him a receiver, call him whatever your want. But at the end of the day, Caleb Odom is an offensive mismatch. Odom’s size and athleticism makes him a complete nightmare for opposing defenses to cover. He’s got the top-end speed and stop-start ability to roast safeties and linebackers in the open field. And he has the frame and bounce in order to bully and box out smaller, athletic corners. No matter how you try and approach him, he is no simple cover. At 6-foot-5, 215 pounds with plus length Odom has the frame to carry much more weight in order to become an effective blocker in the run game. He is already a willing blocker in his own right, but will become much more functional at the next level as he adds mass and physically develops. Odom may be one of the toughest players to cover in the entire 2024 recruiting cycle.” — On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant Cody Bellaire

CB Jaylen Mbakwe — Alabama signee

School: Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville
Previous Ranking: No. 23
New Ranking: No. 31

Scout’s Take: “Jaylen Mbakwe is the fastest top corner in the cycle. He is a dynamic athlete, played all over the field at Clay-Chalkville, led them to a state title as a senior while playing QB, just an extremely fast, versatile playmaker. A guy who has really shown his athleticism transfers over to the field. He has not played as much corner as some of the other top corners, so he is a little bit more of a projection, but we’re willing to bet on his traits and his speed and playmaking ability as a five-star prospect.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

TE Trey’Dez Green – LSU signee

School: Jackson (La.) Zachary
Previous Ranking: No. 36
New Ranking: No. 32

Scout’s Take: “Trey’Dez Green is one of the biggest mismatches among the pass-catchers in the 2024 cycle — receivers or tight ends. He has a massive catch radius and is a monster in jump-ball situations. At 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, Green has one of the more impressive highlight reels you’ll see among pass-catchers this cycle. He had a number of eye-popping contested catches and jump balls this past fall. First came on the scene as a basketball athlete and quickly blossomed into a national prospect in football. Transferred high schools as a senior and really improved his game. Came out in very good shape, improved his movement skills, route-running and overall technicality. He had a fantastic senior season, helping lead Zachary to a state title appearance. Certainly when you look at pass-catchers in the cycle, he has a lot of upside and the athleticism is readily apparent as well. It’s not every day you see a 6-foot-7, 230-pound tight end taking it to the house from 65 yards out. Can win at the catch point, but also very athletic in working every area of the field.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power