Syracuse’s recruiting summer: Improved secondary, new offensive weapons
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What Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown lacked in wins during a disastrous 2025 campaign, he made up for on the recruiting trail.
Headlined by Calvin Russell III, Syracuse’s third-ever five-star commit, Brown and his staff built the 2026 recruiting class into SU’s highest-ranked yet. The Orange upheld that recruiting standard this summer, upgrading their 2027 class with talented players from Florida, New Jersey and New York.
Since May 10, SU has received 18 verbal commitments, two more than last year’s record-breaking summer. The 26-athlete class is almost entirely three-star recruits and ranks 39th in the country, per 247Sports. While the group boasts slightly less talent than the previous class, its members are confident it’ll have an equal if not greater impact.
“This (class) is going to change the entire trajectory of Syracuse with the recruits coming in,” 2027 edge rusher commit Braylon Otis told The Daily Orange.
While the Orange didn’t add any more 2028 commitments over the summer, they were on promising prospects’ radars through visits and offers.
Here’s a breakdown of Syracuse’s progress over the last four months in bolstering its 2027 and 2028 classes:
Improving the 2027 secondary
Entering May, Syracuse didn’t have many 2027 recruits from the secondary. Its lone defensive back commit was three-star safety Travis Miles, who the Orange landed early in the 2028 recruiting cycle. Over the summer, Syracuse reeled in four cornerbacks and a pair of safeties.
First came three-star corner Masiia Acrey, who chose SU over five other Atlantic Coast Conference offers. He was later joined by three-star cornerbacks Jamel Griffin, Michael McQueen and Dylan Northcutt.
At safety, Brown’s coaching staff landed Matthew Schlenhardt from Illinois and Jalen Welch from Georgia just two days apart. During his recruitment, Welch said SU’s coaching staff kept in contact through constant FaceTime calls and messages. When Welch met Brown in person, he said he was “starstruck”.
“I remember him from being at Georgia as a defensive backs coach,” Welch said. “The types of guys that he recruited and coached just made my eyes wide. When I first talked to him, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is the type of coach I would love to be around.’”
Key 2027 RB, WR additions
Syracuse’s 2027 class took two hits in early June when three-star running backs Sa’Nir Brooks and Xavier Bala decommitted. But Brown and his staff filled those gaps quickly.
On June 30, the Orange landed three-star running back Tylek Lewis, the 42nd-best at his position and 23rd-best 2027 player in Louisiana, per 247Sports.
Then, SU’s most notable backfield addition came days later when top New York 2027 prospect Elijah Kimble committed on July 3. Kimble’s decision further backed Brown’s claim from his opening press conference that he would attack SU’s “backyard” when recruiting.
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As for the passing game, Syracuse’s biggest wide receiver addition was three-star wideout Chanin Harris. A track and field state champion at Byrnes High School (South Carolina), Harris’ speed separates him from other receivers in his class. Due to his agility and wide catch radius, he’s the 64th-best wide receiver and ninth-best South Carolina player in the 2027 class, per 247Sports.
Syracuse added two more three-star wide receivers in Josh Barr and Amari Eliano, who also plays safety. Eliano is Orange defensive backs coach Perry Eliano’s son.
Shaping the 2027 trenches
In recent months, Syracuse built its 2027 pass rush and offensive line from the ground up.
Three-star athlete Nico Ramos was SU’s first 2027 interior offensive lineman commit of the summer. Ramos was originally a full-time baseball player but switched to football during his sophomore year due to his size. According to Ramos, playing first base, third base and pitching made him a better fit for the gridiron.
“I try to bring over some of my mentalities from being a baseball player, where versatility is a very big thing,” Ramos said. “Any chance I could, I would get working with the tackles, guards, the centers just trying to learn anything I can. Being able to play as many positions as possible just gives you as many opportunities as possible.”
SU also received more help up front a day later when three-star offensive tackle Botond Varga pledged to its 2027 class. The 6-foot-8, 310-pound lineman developed at Tabor Academy (Massachusetts) after moving from Hungary. Nearly two weeks after Varga, three-star tackle Ben Sakyiama committed on June 20.
Defensively, the Orange also gained muscle by securing Edan Richardson, Jason Lewis and Chima Okechukwu. Additionally, SU’s 2027 class picked up its second edge rusher when Otis flipped from Boston College in early June.
“It’s a defensive scheme that I want to be a part of because it’s the exact same thing I’ve played. I know it by heart, and it’s just going to make everything easier and more fun,” Otis said.
2028 class remains minimal
While Syracuse took many positive strides toward shaping its 2027 class, it hasn’t seen as much success in building for 2028. The Orange entered May with four-star offensive lineman Omari Lawson as the group’s lone recruit, and he remained the sole commit throughout the summer.
However, it wasn’t for lack of effort. Syracuse welcomed various promising 2028 prospects onto campus before official visit season ended, helping them start building connections with coaching personnel.
Some notable players included three-star quarterbacks Maddox Twigg and Jackson Stecher, though Stecher ultimately pledged to Buffalo on June 21. A few days later, Brown and Co. hosted another three-star talent, 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end Jacob Bostian (Pennsylvania).
Syracuse also secured a visit from four-star defensive lineman Nikolas Stevens in late June, the 13th-best defensive lineman and fifth-best player from Maryland in his class, per 247Sports. Landing Stevens may be a long shot, as he holds offers from seven other ACC programs and contenders like Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame.
As the football season progresses, more 2028 prospects will reveal their lists of top programs. For now, Syracuse can grow the class by inviting prospects to take in the JMA Wireless Dome atmosphere as it fights to avoid a second consecutive losing season.
