On3 Outliers: 2024 prospects On3 ranks higher than the recruiting industry

After the end of the high school football season and the completion of the all-star game circuit, On3 has released its final recruiting rankings for the 2024 class. Included on that list are a number of prospects that On3 is higher on than the industry’s other three services: 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.

Director of Recruiting Charles Power and national scout Cody Bellaire break down some of the biggest outliers for On3 this cycle:

CB Demello Jones – Georgia signee

On300 Ranking: No. 21
Next Highest Ranking: No. 60 (ESPN)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Demello Jones was a player that we always felt was one of the more consistent prospects throughout the recruiting cycle. His ability to compete and excel at all three phases at the cornerback position was very exciting for us. Plus, his ball skills at the wide receiver position translated to the defensive side of the ball as he collected two interceptions and broke up five passes during his senior season. His film and steady two-way production reminds us of 2023 Ohio State signee Jermaine Matthews. Someone who was a consistent member of the top 100 that eventually earned his 5-star status during the final rankings update. If Matthews’ early success is any indication for Jones? The future is bright for the corner out of Swainsboro, Georgia. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout

OT Weston Davis – LSU signee

On300 Ranking: No. 24
Next Highest Ranking: No. 100 (Rivals)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Weston Davis has one of the higher upsides among the offensive tackles in this class. He’s a guy who is pretty new to football having played for only three year, but he’s an obvious top talent. He has elite length as a guy who is 6’5 and 285 pounds with 35-inch plus arms. His basketball background and athleticism on the court really stand out as well. It’s easy to tell how explosive of an athlete he is on the basketball floor, but he’s going to need continued development from a technical standpoint with his lack of experience. For someone who has only played the game for a short time relatively, his growth in physicality and understanding the game is really encouraging. – Charles Power, Director of Recruiting

IOL Cooper Cousins – Penn State signee

On300 Ranking: No. 28
Next Highest Ranking: No. 53 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Cooper Cousins had the best showing we saw from an offensive line at either all-star game in January. That backed up what we saw on senior film, as he was a big senior riser throughout the fall and looks to be the clear interior offensive line prospect in the cycle based on what we’ve seen to this point. He has outstanding size for the position at 6’6 and 320 pounds, and he has the skills to play anywhere along the offensive front, including center. He is a unique prospect given his size, movement skills, and physicality. He’s a bull at the point of attack, moving defensive linemen with ease. His level of polish, his mentality and and technical ability projects really well to the college level. – Charles Power, Director of Recruiting

Caleb Odom – Alabama signee

On300 Ranking: No. 31
Next Highest Ranking: No. 64 (ESPN)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: As a guy who brings wide receiver skills and athleticism in a tight end frame, Caleb Odom is one of the most talented pass-catchers in this cycle. He would be a top receiver prospect if he were to play there full-time. But at 6’4 and 220 pounds, he has rare mismatch ability as a tight end. He is a guy who can past corners and has the movement skills to run a full route tree. He’s also a guy who can separate to all levels of the field and win at the catch point. When you look at how good of a high school basketball player he is, you see the obvious athleticism. And on top of that, he brings a lot to the table after the catch. He bounces off defenders and will only be able to do that more as he gets bigger and stronger. – Charles Power, Director of Recruiting

SAF Koi Perich – Minnesota signee

On300 Ranking: No. 36
Next Highest Ranking: No. 72 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Koi Perich is one of the most gifted athletes in the entire 2024 recruiting cycle. He has a tremendous multi-sport background with verified athletic metrics who simply does it all on Friday nights. Perich lined up all over the field his senior season for Lincoln Secondary (MN) at safety, corner, quarterback, running back, wide receiver and also returned kicks and punts. He totaled 27 touchdowns his senior year; 5 on defense, 16 rushing, 1 receiving, 1 passing, 3 punt returns and 1 kickoff. He is simply electric. Not to mention he is one of the most violent downhill players in the country. He runs the alley as good as any defensive player in America. The Golden Gophers were able to keep a seriously special talent home. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout

RB Jordan Lyle – Miami signee

On300 Ranking: No. 37
Next Highest Ranking: No. 81 (Rivals)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Jordan Lyle is another prospect for us that never disappointed when you turned the tape on. Lyle is the definition of a true three-down back due to his footwork between the tackles, finishing ability with the ball in his hands, dynamic ability as a pass catcher in the open field and is a true homerun threat every time he touches the football. His production was tremendous as a senior as well as he rushed for over 1,300 yards averaging over 10 yards per carry and he scored 21 total touchdowns. Lyle has both the physical and athletic traits to be a successful back at the next level and beyond, but it’s his vision, toughness and natural instincts as a runner that make him a special talent. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout

Lugard Edokpayi – Michigan signee

On300 Ranking: No. 41
Next Highest Ranking: No. 158 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Lugard Edokpayi is the definition of a late bloomer. He did not receive his first Power Five offer until well into his senior season. He’s another who is new to football and has a basketball background, but his ceiling is as high as any EDGE prospect this cycle, and that’s saying a lot. Over 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, he has an elite frame and the kind of length that a school like Michigan covets. I think he’ll redshirt and look completely different physically in a year or two. His athleticism and quick-twitch ability, as well as his surprising play strength, bodes really well for the future. – Charles Power, Director of Recruiting

LB Elijah Newby – USC signee

On300 Ranking: No. 66
Next Highest Ranking: No. 238 (247Sports)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: There’s an argument to be made that Elijah Newby is the most physically gifted linebacker prospect in this cycle. He is a one-time safety who has kind of grown into a linebacker role. He’s 6’3, 205 pounds, has plus length, and is an electric athlete. He runs a sub-11 second 100 meter dash, is a 6’8 high jumper, and he can really fly. He plays on both sides of the ball at his high school, but once he gets some more weight on his frame and plays primarily linebacker more, he has a ton of potential. His athleticism is on a different level that many of these other linebackers and has extremely high upside with more time at the position. – Charles Power, Director of Recruiting

EDGE Danny Okoye – Oklahoma signee

On300 Ranking: No. 79
Next Highest Ranking: No. 164 (Rivals)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Danny Okoye is one of the most physically impressive players in the entire 2024 recruiting cycle. His frame and build are that of a fifth-year collegiate senior. He is ready to go off the bus right now from a physical perspective and has the athletic ability to match. He is one of the more interesting cases in recent memory due to playing in a national homeschool football league playing his high school ball for NOAH Homeschool in Tulsa, OK. However, the film doesn’t lie and Okoye’s film is littered with impressive get off, body control and violent play for all four quarters, including making plays on both sides of the ball. Okoye can’t control the players who line up across from him at the high school level, but he can control how he plays against them and he was absolutely dominant in that right. His best football is ahead of him as he will be developed physically and positionally at a level he has never seen before, the sky is truly the limit for him as a football player. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout

EDGE Zina Umeozulu – Texas signee

On300 Ranking: No. 94
Next Highest Ranking: No. 191 (Rivals)
Industry Comparison
Scouting Take: Zina Umeozulu was arguably one of the more difficult evaluations for us throughout the recruiting cycle. The body type and movement skills have always been there, but the film and production never matched what we saw in a camp setting or live viewing. The gifted edge rusher from Allen (TX) has the frame and movement skills to be a special talent and we saw some improvement in his production towards the back end of the senior season which gave us a ton of hope going into the Under Armour All-American week. It was there where we finally saw Umeozulu put the whole package together. He was flying off the line of scrimmage and was mixing up pass rush moves to get after the quarterback. He was stout and powerful against the run. It’s like it all clicked for him in that instance and he was dominant throughout the entire week. We believe the arrow is continuing to point up and he should develop into a game wrecker against the run and the pass at the next level. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout