There is no shortage of talent in the 2024 recruiting class, especially at the top of the rankings. After watching the top ranked WR and the top ranked DB in the 2024 class battle against each other at the OT7 National Championship, it solidified my belief that they may both be the best prospects at their respective positions in years. Five-Star WR Jeremiah Smith and Five-Star DB Ellis Robinson have complete packages of elite size, skillset, and mentalities that stand out over anyone in recent time.
Starting at the WR position, Jeremiah Smith is what your created player in a video game would look like if you were building the ideal wideout. At 6’4-215lbs, Smith has prototypical size for a receiver of his style. The top ranked WR in the country isn’t just big, but also one of the fastest prospects in the nation. Even at 6’4-215, Smith is a state champion hurdler and measured in the ‘elite’ acceleration category by RA Analytics who tracked his in-game speed.
The freakishly good pass catcher out of Chaminade Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida is most often compared to Julio Jones. Smith’s size, speed, catch radius and route running definitely have him in that conversation and he could very well be the most complete WR prospect since Julio Jones in 2008. The five-star WR is the best high school prospect I’ve ever watched at that position and a very good argument could be made that he’s the best wideout recruit in over fifteen years.
Jeremiah Smith is currently committed to OSU, but every top school in the nation is working to flip him. Most notably, the Georgia Bulldogs are pushing to flip Smith to come play with the top ranked QB and current Georgia Commit, Dylan Raiola.
On the other side of the ball, Georgia currently holds a commitment from top ranked DB Ellis Robinson. Much like Smith, Robinson has the size, skills, and intangibles that have him in the discussion as being the top cornerback prospect in years. Recent years have had some very highly ranked corner prospects such as Cormani McClain, Dezz Ricks and Travis Hunter.
After watching all these recent top DB prospects up close, I think a very good argument could be made that Ellis Robinson is the best of the bunch. At 6’1-190 with an incredibly long wing span, Robinson has the ideal build for a big, physical corner. He can run with anyone in the open field and has extremely polished technique for a high school player.
While Ellis Robinson’s physical attributes are certainly elite, he continues to separate himself with the metal aspect of his game. Robinson is one of brightest cornerback prospects I’ve been around and understands how to play in just about every coverage. He is a true student of the game and often knows what the offense is going to do before it happens.
Along with his football mind, he also has one of the most competitive mindsets I’ve seen in an elite player. Robinsonbelieves he’s the best player in the country and won’t back down from anybody when trying to prove it. He will often ask to follow around the opposition’s best WR, including in this week’s 7v7 tournament where he followed Jeremiah Smith all over the field.
The two engaged in one of the most physical battles I’ve seen in a 7v7 event with all eyes and every camera locked in on them. Ellis Robinson came up with an interception early on, before getting bested by Jeremiah Smith who made an incredible catch on a jump ball down the field. Robinson bounced right back two plays later when he followed Smith as he motioned across the field and then snapped his head around to come up with his second interception of the game to seal the win for his team, Raw Miami. The matchup between the two showcased elite traits on both sides and was the definition of iron sharpening iron.
Ellis Robinson is currently committed to Georgia, but like Smith, has many schools battling to steal him from the Bulldogs. The Miami Hurricanes have been pushing hard and had the elite corner on campus for an official visit in early June.
I’m relatively young, but have been following and covering high school football and recruiting for close to ten years at this point. I would confidently say that Jeremiah Smith and Ellis Robinson are the two best prospects at their positions that I have seen over that span. Both have elite builds, skillsets, and intangibles and I would not be surprised at all to see both go early in the first round in a few years.
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