Weekly rankings notes: Seven new 4-stars, debut ratings on official visitors, and more (2024)

Rising to a four-star 90 rating and now on Top247 Watch, Brookline (Mass.) Dexter School's Hardy Watts strengthens his claim to the No. 1 spot in the state of Massachusetts. Watts plays with twitchy lower half and corresponding foot quickness and hip power. Watts is a nimble, powerful drive blocker who wears his mass well. He's shown the requisite movement ability to stay on schedule as a puller and a climber, as well as the functional athleticism to survive on an island in pass protection. Because of that, Watts could potentially provide tackle snaps, despite his IOL projection. Watts officially visited Clemson this past weekend and plans upcoming official visits to Wisconsin, Duke, and Michigan. -- Gabe Brooks, 247Sports national scouting analyst

Like Watts, Doylestown (Pa.) Central Bucks East stalwart Michael Carroll represents another talented offensive lineman who owns an interior offensive line projection but could certainly remain on the outside as a tackle if needed. Also like Watts, Carroll ascends to a four-star 90 rating and is now on Top247 Watch. In addition excellent size (6-6, 315) and impressive functional athleticism, Carroll owns some key long-term projection markers that suggest immense potential: multi-sport experience in wrestling, extensive two-way snaps, and a stellar athletic pedigree as the son of two former Big Ten athletes. Fellow 247Sports national scouting analyst Cooper Petagna agreed with my thought that Carroll shares on-field similarities with current Penn State offensive lineman J'ven Williams, a 2023 Top247 five-star prospect. Carrollhas already officially visited Georgia and will reportedly visit Alabama, Penn State, and Michigan the rest of the month. -- Brooks

A new four-star on Top247 Watch, Elkhart (Ind.) EDGE Mariyon Dye is one of the freakier front seven-defenders in the nation. Around 6-foot-5, 270 pounds with athleticism that defies his physical stature, Dye could certainly slide inside full-time once he arrives at the next level, but his exceptional foot and body quickness could allow him to stay on the edge as a bigger-bodied 3-4 hybrid chess piece who modern defensive coordinators crave.

The Indiana native is a natural in space who can redirect with ease or efficiently flow laterally to chase down ball carriers. Dye must improve statistically on his two-sack junior season, but we're confident he possesses the tools to make massive strides as a senior. The new four-star has already taken an official visit to Purdue and has remaining OVs scheduled for Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, and Tennessee. --Hudson Standish, 247Sports national scouting analyst

Verified around 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, recent Rutgers defensive line commit Chase Linton has emerged as one of the more intriguingfront-seven defenders on our board. The North Atlanta High School product tested extremely well in a combine setting over the offseason, pairing his ideal height, weight, and length measurements with explosive lower-body strength, which manifested in a 44-8.5 triple jump personal best this spring.

Linton, a newly minted four-star and Top247 candidate, is a natural athlete with a lightning-quick first step and the functional play strength to set the edge against the run. While Linton has the tools to play on the edge as a 3-4 outside linebacker, we believe his future is likely with his hand in the dirt thanks to his immense growth potential, which could see him playing around 260 pounds in a few years. Last cycle Rutgers pulled off a major heist landing Top247 safety Antonio White from the Greater Atlanta area, and Greg Schiano seems to have struckgold in the Peach State yet again. -- Standish

Jumping to a four-star 90 rating at tight end is Mikkel Skinner, who's pushing 6-4, 220 pounds and can easily flex out or work from an H role. Similar in some ways to recent prospects such as Jaheim Bell, Olsen Patt Henry, or Elija Lofton, Skinner possesses a good combo of burst and quickness. He's competitive after the catch and owns a promising multi-sport profile -- helogged 100- and 200-meter repsthis spring after helping Greer (S.C.) Riverside reach the South Carolina Class 4A basketball championship game. Skinner provided impressive production in Fall 2023, when he gained more than 600 receiving yards and nearly matched that in rushing yardage as he totaled 15 offensive touchdowns (10 receiving, five rushing). Skinner, who's an excellent combine tester, recently officially visited Cincinnati, while programs such as West Virginia and South Carolina are also reportedly involved here. -- Andrew Ivins, 247Sports director of scouting

Bushnell (Fla.) South Sumter's Rashad Johnson is a wiry defensive back prospect with some twitch in the lower half who's comfortable playing in the box and near the line of scrimmage. Johnson, elevated to a four-star 90 rating on 247Sports, projects as more of a hybrid defender who can defend the run and the pass. Johnson owns the requisite straight-line speed, which issupportedby combine testing and tracktimes.

In addition to the athletic markers and promising defensive context, Johnson has played snaps on the offensive side of the ball and makes plays there as well. Johnson finished his junior season with 59 tackles, six for loss, one sack, one INT, one forced fumble, and seven pass breakups, while catching nine passes for 209 yards and three TDs. This past weekend, Johnson made an official visit to Louisville. Next up are . -- Ivins

Cibolo (Texas) Steele's Sean Robinson did not get a full season in 2023, but expect a big senior campaign this fall. While his size is unverified, Robinson's frame is believed to be somewhere in the 6-3, 200 to 6-4, 215 range. A multi-positional athlete who's also run track and reported to participate in Muay Thai, Robinson ran an encouraging 22.18-second 200-meter time this spring to support the functional top-end speed shown on tape. Robinson, who officially visited Oklahoma State in April, has logged snaps at receiver, quarterback, and tight end, which further enhances the intrigue in the newly-evaluated high three-star 88-rated athlete.

"Intriguing combination of size and athleticism," said Cooper Petagna. "More of a straight-line mover who shows the ability to excel outside the numbers. Flashes some natural hands and ability to utilize his frame to box out defenders at the catch point."

Quarterback commitment timelines have rapidly accelerated over the past five years, leaving limited spots available for late-blooming signal-callers. Only four of the Top-45 quarterbacks in the country per 247Sports are not committed to Power Four programs with a few months remaining until their senior seasons. Which makes the case of Norfolk (Va.) Maury quarterback Au'ToriNewkirk, who debuts with a high three-star 87 grade, one of the more riveting quarterback storylines to monitor entering the 2024 season.An offseason growth spurt pushed Newkirk from a shade taller than 6 feet to a confirmed 6-foot-3, and live exposure to the southpaw passer at the Under Armour Baltimore Regional opened our eyes to his immense developmental upside. Newkirk -- quite young for the 2025 cycle with a Sept. 2007 birth date -- showcased improved arm talent at all three levels and a much quicker release compared to his previously elongated motion.

This past fall, Newkirk checked nearly every box for Virginia prospect factory Maury High, earning Virginia Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year honors after throwing for 3,670 yards at a 68 percent clip with a stellar 44-5 TD-to-INT ratio. He also ran for 760 rushing yards and 13 TDs. While an all-star cast of talent certainly helped Newkirk lead Maury to a 15-0 record,heput on the cape when necessary, including a six total-touchdown, MVP state championship game performance.

Newkirk isnow 247Sports'highest-rated quarterback without a P4 offer; Newkirk reports FBS scholarships from Toledo, Temple, and UMass. Even with uncertainty surrounding his eventual landing spot, Newkirk's combination of physical upside and on-field production make him one of the higher-ceiling late risers at quarterback over the last few cycles. -- Standish

McKinney (Texas) High School's defense was loaded with talent in 2023, and a number of those starters return this fall, including senior D-lineman Jordan Covington. A smooth, fluid mover with some size to him, Covington likely can fit multiple schemes at the next level. Covington, who debuted this week on 247Sports with a strong three-star 86 rating, displays some pass-rushing nuance at multiple D-line spots, resulting in six sacks in 12 games as a junior. He displays a fairly broad pursuit range and possesses the size and play strength to be a factor against the run. Covington's play style reminds me a bit of former New Orleans Holy Cross standout Barryn Sorrell, who's recorded 9.5 sacks the past two seasons at Texas. Covington is expected to take upcoming official visits to Oklahoma State and Kansas. -- Brooks

Corona (Calif.) Centennial wideout Cory Butler committed to Arizona State on Sunday while on campus for his official visit. He'sone of the region's top receiver prospects and is currently rated a high three-star with an 88 rating and the No. 48 player in the state. Butler was a fun story to track this spring as he ironically upped his stock skipping spring football and running track full-time for the first time. Centennial is essentially a year-round football program and you rarely see their players run track.

Butler played the whole 2023 season with a broken hand and had surgery immediately after the final game. As a result, he missed Spring football but was able to run track and put up eye-opening numbers. He ran multiple 10.6-second 100-meter times with a personal best of 10.55. He also ran a 21.43 200 and showed he's not just quick and shifty, but has the top-end speed to get behind a defense as well. -- Greg Biggins, 247Sports national scouting analyst

Higley (Ariz.) quarterback Luke Haugo, who committed to Arizona on Tuesday, will be a four-year varsity basketball starter and averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds over his first three seasons. On the gridiron, Haugo was only able to play in two games as a junior due to a back injury, but he's looked good this offseason. We had a chance to see him at the recent Elite 11 Regional Camp in Las Vegas, where he caught our eye with hislarge frame and encouraging testing numbers (4.85 40, 4.54 shuttle, almost 31-inch vertical). Haugo has a smooth, easy delivery and the ball jumps out of his hand. He can get the ball down the field without much of a wind-up and shows very good pocket mobility as well. After an injury-shortened junior year, we're excited to see his senior campaign. -- Biggins

Queen Creek (Ariz.) tight end Dylan Sims committed to UCLA on Monday following his weekend official visit. Although Sims will play tight end in college, he plays more like a jumbo receiver at the high school level, where he also stands out on defense as an edge. At 6-5, 215 pounds, he has plenty of length, runs well, and is a tough matchup down the field. He's a fluid athlete who can make plays in the vertical passing game and does a nice job tracking the football.

Simsshould be a nice security blanket on key third down plays, but also has the athleticism and speed to work the deep middle of the field and provide a big-play threat at the position.Right now, Sims looks more advanced as a receiver than an in-line blocker and will need to add some good weight and strength to impact the run game in a physical conference like the BigTen. -- Biggins

-- 247Sports' Andrew Ivins, Cooper Petagna, Hudson Standish, and Greg Biggins contributed to this report.