Weekly rankings notes: A new 4-star, numerous 2025 debut grades, and more (2024)

Loxahatchee (Fla.) Seminole Ridge isn’t exactly known as a football factory, but there’s a reason college coaches flocked to the school last month while out on the road and that’s because of Ty Jackson.A tackling-machine under the lights with 378 career stops to his credit, Jackson was arguably our favorite linebacker at the 2024 National Combine in January. We loved how he moved in coverage, but we're even more excited about what he could be at the next level based on the testing data.

Jackson ran the second-fastest short shuttle at the event and had the second-best broad jump for anyone north of 200 pounds. Toss in a 40-yard dash time that ranked in the top 25 for all 600 participants and it’s pretty clear Jackson is a top-flight athletewhocan play all three downs on Saturdays. Jackson’s grade has moved from a three-star 87 to a three-star 89. He too could eventually break into the Top247. Penn State recently got Jackson on campus for a junior day. Plenty of other College Football Playoff contenders extended scholarships in January. -- Ivins

NFL front offices continue to prioritize both length and speed at the cornerback position. We at 247Sports do the same and Tampa (Fla.) Wharton’s Graceson Littleton checks off both of those boxes in style. After measuring 6 feet, 180 pounds this past weekend at the Under Armour Next Camp in Orlando, Littleton ripped off a laser-timed 4.51-second effort in the 40-yard dash.

Of course, we’re not just looking for numbers at cornerback, and that’s why Littleton debuted in the 247Sports rankings with a high three-star grade of 89 as he also puts strong spells of play on tape as a junior. Littleton has shown that he can be effective in press-man coverage out on the perimeter as he maintains phase while gaining depth. More importantly, he isn’t one that panics when the ball comes his way.

Kansas State got Littleton on campus for a game this past fall. He has also picked up offers in recent weeks from Penn State, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State and Syracuse. -- Ivins

We are not sure what position Portsmouth (Va.) I.C. Norcom’s Matthew Outten will play at the next level, but we’re big fans. After posting a 6.49-second effort in the 55-meter dash in December, the three-phase playmaker ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash at the 2024 National Combine in January with a blazing 4.58-second effort on what is traditionally a slower track. Not bad for someone hovering around 6 feet, 200 pounds.

As a junior, Outten did most of his damage as a wide receiver, but he also moved the chains as a wildcat quarterback and really made an impact on the other side of the ball as an instinctive second-level defenderwho could wrangle ball carriers in the open field while also defending the pass. He has earned an initial high-three grade of 88 from 247Sports and has been classified as an “athlete” for now. Penn State recently got Outten up to Happy Valley for a visit. Virginia Tech and Tennessee are two others also involved in the recruitment. -- Ivins

Hailing from Wolfforth (Texas) Frenship way out in West Texas, Leyton Stone gives Texas Tech a highly productive pass catcher who consistently displays impressive body control and spatial awareness. Stone shows go-get-it ability in the vertical passing game, an aptitude that also translates to the threat he presents as a red-zone target or a 50-50 winner in general.

Stone, who is also a crafty basketball player with sport-specific skill and open-floor acceleration, flashes advanced ball skills, as evidenced by some dazzling one-handed grabs in 2023. Stone put all of these qualities together this past fall, when he caught a whopping 94 passes for 1,658 yards and 23 touchdowns on 17.6 yards per game. He averaged 138.2 receiving yards per game in Frenship’s 12-game campaign that resulted in a 9-3 record and a Texas Class 6A Division II second-round playoff appearance. Across the past two seasons, the wiry strong Stone snagged 158 receptions for more than 2,800 yards and 37 TDs, astronomical numbers even for a pass-heavy modern spread. Stone, a new high three-star 88-rated prospect on 247Sports, represents a particularly high-floor recruit who could also possess long-term upside, especially as we gain more verified information regarding physical tools and athleticism. -- Brooks

llinois deserves a ton of credit for finding and signing Lyndon (Kan.) standout Tanner Heckel, who gained a high three-star 87 rating on 247Sports this past week. The Kansas 8-Man Player of the Year, Heckel led Lyndon to a 13-0 record and the 8-Man D-I state title in the fall, when he threw for 1,062 yards and 19 touchdowns; ran for 2,300-plus yards and 50 TDs; and racked up 81 tackles and seven interceptions, including three returned for scores.

Heckel's highly productive on-the-field resumé accompanies very encouraging multi-sport evidence, including three-time all-state honors in basketball entering his senior season, as well as a layered track and field profile. That area of his athletic background includes the following impressive feats: a 10.96 100, a 24-foot long jump, and 45-7.5 triple jump, and a 178-4 javelin throw. Heckel faces a learning curve coming from small-school Kansas 8-Man competition, but his on-field multi-phase participation and three-sport athletic foundation suggest ample developmental upside. Football versatility and multi-sport participation / excellence show up year after year in dozens upon dozens of NFL Draft selections. -- Brooks

Mario Cristobal has done an excellent job of refortifying Miami’s offensive line room ever since he arrived in Coral Gables. Lamar Williams gives the Hurricanes another developmental tackle prospect with tools. Williams, who is a lean 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, possesses enormous arm length, which should allow him to make it extremely difficult for pass rushers to get around the edge.Williams had his moments as a junior at Havana (Fla.) Gadsden County, but is likely going to need plenty of time before he’s ready to go at the Power Five level as he needs to improve technique and flexibility -- which could certainly happen once college staffers get their hands on him. He makes his debut in the 247Sports rankings with a high three-star grade of 87 and is a corner protector we will continue to monitor. -- Ivins

Gainesville (Fla.) F.W. Bucholz has churned out Power Four defensive linemen in back to back cycles, sending Gavin Hill to Florida and Kendall Jackson to Texas A&M. Nicolas Clayton looks to be the next man up. He was an instant eye-catcher at the Under Armour Next Camp in Orlando with his 6-foot-4.5, 205-pound frame and impressed during positional drills as he was able to bend and hug the ground when asked to change directions. Clayton totaled only three sacks as a junior, but the arrow appears to be pointing up, especially when you look at his track and field markers as he has cleared 40 feet in the triple jump. He now holds a three-star grade of 87 from 247Sports and will have a chance to move up in the rankings if he can increase his production as a senior. -- Ivins

Texas Tech-bound safety TJ Tillman is a three-phase playmaker for Panhandle power Amarillo (Texas) Tascosa. Tillman, who also competes in track and field, could play either side of the ball in college, but is expected to play safety once he gets to Texas Tech. Tillman displays big-play juice with the ball in his hands and in the return game, and that same acceleration and speed allow him to cover ample territory from the secondary. Tillman also looks like he could possess the body type to provide some versatility in the secondary, perhaps even as a corner option.

Playing for a run-oriented offense, Tillman caught 16 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns in 2023, when he recorded his second consecutive three-interception campaign on defense. A new three-star 86-rated prospect, Tillman ran a sophom*ore-best 22.58 200-meter time in limited Spring 2023 reps. If he gets more cracks at it this spring -- along with the 400 meters and high jump -- we expect Tillman to set new personal bests. -- Brooks

Plenty of buzz exists already regarding the 2026 quarterbacks in the Sunshine State (and for good reason), but Bjorn Jurgensen is a rising senior out of the Orlando metro who caught our eye this past weekend at the Under Armour Next Camp. He made a number of impressive tosses over the course of his three-hour throwing session and was able to deliver an accurate ball on the move. Jurgensen was a first-year starter as a junior at Bishop Moore, but the footage and stats speak for themselves as he completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 2,466 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while also running for 632 yards and 12 more scores. He’s crafty in the pocket and not afraid to challenge tight coverage windows. Jurgensen now holds a three-star grade of 86 from 247Sports. He has heard from Northwestern and Vanderbilt. -- Ivins

Texas Tech continues to stockpile back-seven defensive prospects with extensive two-way experience. Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus’ Brock Golwas represents yet another example of this. Golwas produced big-play running ability in a wildcat role this past fall, when he played all over Marcus’ defense -- edge, safety, nickel, you name it. Golwas, who has also played baseball, displays impressive straight-line top-end speed, which really shows ina few of those breakawayoffensive touches.

But that same speed helps him close on ball carriers. Golwas strikes us as more of a forward-playing defender than the aforementioned Tillman and Henderson. Because of that, Golwas could become a full-time off-ball linebacker, especially given the state of the modern game and the need for positional chameleons in the back seven. Golwas debuted this week with a strong three-star 86 rating on 247Sports and a linebacker projection, but keep in mind he could reasonably be considered a safety as well. -- Brooks

Oregon State picked up a late commitment from Herriman (Utah) Mountain Ridge offensive lineman Adam Hawkes and he looks like a steal for the Beavers. He played primarily on the defensive line most of his high school career but switched to offensive tackle as a senior and the move definitely paid off. At 6-6, 280 pounds, he has a prototype tackle frame, moves well, and can finish. He could easily slide inside and play guard if needed but was recruited as a tackle and has the feet and lateral mobility to excel there. He can get off the ball, looks fluid in space and getting to the second level, and has the necessary edge you love to see as well.

The gene pool is strong here as his father Matthew played linebacker at Missouri and his grandfather Thomas played linebacker at Utah. Hawkes has a track background as well and finished sixth in state in the discus as a junior and fifth in the region in the shot put. We rated him as a mid-level three-star with an 85 rating and the No. 22 player in the state for 2024 as well. -- Greg Biggins, 247Sports national scouting analyst

-- 247Sports' Andrew Ivins and Greg Biggins contributed to this report.