Top 10 EDGEs in the final 2024 On300 rankings

On3 has released its final recruiting ranking for the 2024 class. This final update comes after the end of the high school playoffs and postseason All-American games, where top prospects across the country faced off in a week of practices and ended with nationally televised games.

These are the top 10 EDGEs in the final 2024 On300 rankings.

1. Jordan Ross — Tennessee signee

School: Birmingham (Ala.) Vestavia Hills
On300 Ranking: No. 7
On3 NIL Valuation: $383K

Scouting Summary: “Athletic EDGE prospect with the physical ability to develop into a dangerous pass rusher. Measured in 6-foot-4.5, 215 pounds with a 33.5-inch arm prior to his senior season. Registers as a top athlete in the combine setting. Lines up all over the field for his high school. Works on the edge and as an off-ball linebacker at times. Makes most of his plays as a pursuit defender, using his athleticism and range to track down plays from sideline-to-sideline. Has palpable burst and play speed. Needs to improve his technical skill as a pass rusher and increase his play strength, base and anchor. Flashes his athleticism as a basketball player. Younger for the cycle with a May birthday.”

2. Marquise Lightfoot — Miami signee

School: Chicago Kenwood Academy
On300 Ranking: No. 10
On3 NIL Valuation: $320K

Scouting Summary: “Explosive EDGE prospect who stands out due to his athleticism and effort level on Friday nights. Measured in at over 6-foot-5, 220 pounds prior to his senior season. Has solid length for the position. A twitchy, quick athlete who turned in strong marks with his change of direction in the combine setting. Parlays that burst onto the field. Lines up both as a traditional defensive end and as a stand up pass rusher. Makes eye-popping plays in backside pursuit. Tracks down ball carriers from behind, making high-level individual plays. Shows good first step quickness, darting into the backfield. Takes on blocks and works to hold his ground as a run defender. Plays with intensity and a high effort level. Productive as a junior, tallying 122 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 9 sacks. Also plays tight end, where he made some big plays as a pass-catcher. Will need to hone his pass rush technique at the next level as he is making most of his plays with pure athleticism and effort. Does not look to have an overly large frame, but has solid size at 220 pounds. Younger for the class with an April birthday.”

3. Dylan Stewart — South Carolina signee

School: Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate Academy
On300 Ranking: No. 12
On3 NIL Valuation: $397K

Scouting Summary: “Big, athletic pass rusher with the most complete physical skill set among 2024 EDGE prospects. Measured at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds with a 33.5-inch arm and 10.5-inch hand prior to his senior season. Added around 20 pounds of mass during his junior year. Clocked 40 yard dashes in the 4.6 second range at college camps as a rising junior. Has rare movement skills at his size. Flies around the field with a burst that pops off the screen. Lines up all over the front seven at his high school. Often plays in a two-point stance, both as a stand up rusher and off-ball linebacker. Shows high-end flexibility as a pass rusher. Stays low and turns the corner at high speeds with strong curvilinear movement. Dangerous on stunts and twists. Closes extremely quickly behind the line of scrimmage. Strong finisher in part due to his combination of speed and size. Finished his junior season with 16 sacks, which stacks up on the high end among his peers. Will need to continue developing to maximize his considerable talent.”

4. Williams Nwaneri — Missouri signee

School: Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North
On300 Ranking: No. 14
On3 NIL Valuation: $434K

Scouting Summary: “The most physically-gifted defensive line prospect in the 2024 cycle. Has an elite frame, measuring in at over 6-foot-6, 260 pounds and an 11-inch hand. Has elite length for the position and moves very well for his size. Flashed some of his high-end potential as a sophomore, but took a step as a junior. Finished his junior campaign with 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks while helping his team to the state title game. Shows the ability to create disruption from multiple spots on the defensive line. The elite combination of length and athleticism creates mismatches, particularly as an interior pass rusher. Has improved his hands over time, flashing a budding swim move as a junior. Possesses the ability to neutralize linemen with his length. Displays very good flexibility with the ability to dip and bend around the edge. A loose, fluid mover in pursuit. Has the range and athleticism to run down skill players from behind. Improving his technical skill at the position but has immense upside and capacity for improvement. Can also continue to improve as a run defender and edge setter. Could project to a number of spots along the defensive front including along the edge, but looks to be a defensive lineman long-term given his frame and potential to add substantial mass.”

5. Colin Simmons — Texas signee

School: Duncanville (Texas)
On300 Ranking: No. 28
On3 NIL Valuation: $741K

Scouting Summary: “Speed rushing dynamo who stars for one of the top high school programs in Texas. Arguably the most dominant defensive player in the 2024 cycle, registering 22.5 sacks as a junior while playing in Texas’ highest classification. Measured at around 6-foot-2.5, 225 pounds with a 34-inch arm prior to his senior season. Primarily lines up at defensive end for Duncanville. Uses first-step quickness, play speed and dip to create issues for opposing offensive tackles. Shows good curvilinear movement with his ability to turn corners as a pass rusher. Length aids in disengaging from offensive linemen, finishing plays and disrupting passing lanes. Looks to play with a very strong effort level. Has an innate knack for disrupting passing lanes, batting down a number of passes as a junior. Took over the state title game in a key second-half sequence that led to Duncanville’s win. Has a smaller frame than most elite EDGE prospects and will need to put on weight early on in college to aid in his ability to hold up against the run.”

6. Lugard Edokpayi — Michigan signee

School: Bowie (Md.) Bishop McNamara
On300 Ranking: No. 40
On3 NIL Valuation: $120K

Scouting Summary: “Late-rising pass rusher with one of the higher upsides among EDGE prospects in the 2024 cycle. Measured in at around 6-foot-6.5, 220 pounds prior to his senior season. Has outstanding length and a big frame with 34.5-inch arms and hands that measure over 10 inches. Should gain considerable mass with a few years in a college strength program. Flashes pass rushing nuance with the ability to bend the edge. Length presents issues for opposing offensive tackles. Hits offensive tackles with a nasty hesitation move. Looks to be a twitched up athlete and changes directions well. Shows budding speed to power. Plays with an encouraging level of core strength. Plays with solid physicality and disengages to make plays against the run. Also shows his athleticism lining up as a wide receiver on offense, showing the ability to get behind defensive backs. Played strong competition. Has a basketball background and became a football-first athlete later in his high school career. Younger for the class, turning 18 years old in May of his junior year. Will need time to develop and gain strength but has the upside to develop into an early draft pick.”

7. Bryce Young — Notre Dame signee

School: Charlotte Christian
On300 Ranking: No. 42
On3 NIL Valuation: $169K

Scouting Summary: “Ascending EDGE prospect with some of the best physical traits at the position in the 2024 cycle. Looks like a create-a-player physically. Measured in at around 6-foot-5.5, 255 pounds during his senior season. Has good length and a big frame. Continued to grow and fill out in the final year of his high school career. Saw his play take off as a senior with added size and athleticism. Finished his final campaign with 97 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 14 sacks, registering on the high end for 2024 blue-chip EDGE prospects. Wins with his combination of strength, athleticism and effort. Lined up as a stand up rusher and with his hand in the dirt. Flies off the edge with vigor. Shows a plus first step. Often wins with his bull rush. Converts speed to power. Also shows solid bend around the edge. Physical and embraces contact. Plays with a high effort level.

…Makes high-level plays in pursuit, tracking down plays from the back side and running down ball carriers 30+ yards downfield. Finished plays behind the line at an increased rate as a senior. Also saw time on offense as a tight end. Put up strong marks in track and field as a junior, posting a 11.45 second mark in the shot put and a 44-6.25 foot shot put toss. Still developing from a technical standpoint. Will need to continue improving his hand usage and add to his arsenal of pass rush moves. Has NFL pedigree as the son of Pro Football Hall-of-Fame defensive lineman Bryant Young. Owns one of the highest upsides among EDGE prospects in 2024 and could take off with further coaching and technical work.”

8. Eddrick Houston — Ohio State signee

School: Buford (Ga.)
On300 Ranking: No. 53
On3 NIL Valuation: $373K

Scouting Summary: “Powerful, versatile defensive lineman who imposes his will on opposing offensive linemen. Measured in at a shade under 6-foot-4, 275 pounds prior to his senior season. Added significant mass during his junior season. Has a naturally large frame with plus length for the position with arms that measure 34 inches. Primarily lines up as a defensive end in a 3-man front for Georgia power Buford High, where he faces strong competition.. A physical, high effort player who is active as a run defender. Capable of setting the edge. Shows the motor and athleticism to make high level plays in pursuit. Primarily a straight line pass rusher at this point. Looks to overpower offensive linemen with his bull rush. Has the length and speed to power to walk offensive linemen back to the quarterback. More of a linear athlete at this time. Will need to improve his bend flexibility if he’s to stick on the edge long-term. Could grow into a defensive tackle or play as a 4i in a 3-man front. Also has a wrestling background and runs track. Has a wrestling background and also runs track.”

9. Noah Carter — Alabama commit

School: Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial
On300 Ranking: No. 57
On3 NIL Valuation: $134K

Scouting Summary: “Twitched up, do-it-all player who projects as a speed rusher long-term. The top defensive player and prospect in Arizona’s highest classification. Has unverified size and is listed at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Makes big plays in all three phases on Friday nights as a pass rusher, receiver and return man. Primarily lines up as a stand up edge rusher on defense. Explosive off the edge. Use flexibility and curvilinear movement to dip and bend the corner at high speeds. Shows active hands, swatting to neutralize offensive tackles. Forward body lean makes him tough for tackles to get a hold on. Has a dangerous up and under move. Closes quickly and looks to detonate on quarterbacks. Shows speed and athleticism in pursuit. Floats around the field in running down plays.

…Plays at a different speed than others. Shows his athleticism and coordination as a jump ball maven at receiver. Hangs in the air to make difficult grabs. Returns punts and shows the ability to take it to the house. Helped his team to a state title appearance as a senior, notching 11 sacks and catching 32 passes for 677 yards and eight touchdowns late into the season. Also plays basketball and runs track. Appears to be light and will need to gain mass to hold up against the run Will see a spike in his development once he gets stronger and adds to his pass rush arsenal after focusing solely on defense.”

10. Kameryn Fountain — USC signee

School: Atlanta Washington
On300 Ranking: No. 72
On3 NIL Valuation: $173K

Scouting Summary: “Fountain’s first step and speed to get to the outside and around a tackle was eye popping, but I think what I enjoyed the most is that he showed the willingness and ability to rush through the interior as well and get physical through tighter rush lanes. Fountain will add weight naturally in his time at USC, but he has some strength already and did not allow offensive lineman to get him off his spot, even in contain or run defense where he was sealing an edge. Because of this, I believe he will be valuable early in his career and can be trusted to fit any role or scheme.”