Syracuse 5-star WR Calvin Russell III dresses for 1st basketball game
Calvin Russell III, the highest-ranked SU football recruit in the modern era, dressed for his first college basketball game Tuesday night. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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Nothing about Calvin Russell III joining Syracuse’s basketball team is normal.
The five-star wide receiver prospect is the football program’s highest-rated recruit of the modern era. Additionally, he should be a second-semester senior at Miami Northwestern High School.
Nonetheless, Russell dressed for the first college basketball game less than a week after enrolling a semester early at SU. He participated in pregame warmups and sat on the Orange’s bench during their 94-86 win over Florida State, but didn’t play.
“It was a great experience,” Russell said in the locker room postgame.
Calvin Russell getting some shots up: pic.twitter.com/eK6tK57Ary
— Justin Girshon (@JustinGirshon) January 14, 2026
While SU football’s early enrollees began camp on Sunday, Russell highlighted that basketball is his main focus right now. Other than that, he said that going to class and the weight room have been his priorities.
Russell also said that his head football coach, Fran Brown, is why he’s also playing basketball.
“He forced me, he said there was no other choice,” Russell said. “I did what he told me to do.”
Calvin Russell III participates in warmups before Syracuse’s win over Florida State Tuesday. Russell, a 5-star football recruit, didn’t get any game time Tuesday, but hopes to be SU’s next star dual-sport athlete. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
Brown was in attendance Tuesday, sitting near Russell’s mother, Chanivia Broussard. On the bench, Russell kept his SU sweatsuit on the whole game while primarily sitting next to fellow freshmen Aaron Womack and Luke Fennell.
Though he didn’t get a chance to showcase it on Tuesday during the game, Kiyan Anthony noted that Russell was hitting 3-pointers in practice. To no surprise, Russell’s athleticism also stood out.
“Practice, man, he jumps super high,” Anthony said. “I mean, you would expect that from an athlete like him.”
During Monday’s ACC Coaches Call, head basketball coach Adrian Autry highlighted his toughness.
“We’ve had guys in the past that played two sports, so it’s always exciting to have those guys,” Autry said. “They bring a type of toughness. Him playing football, I really love that mentality, that toughness mentality, and that’s what we try to preach over here as well.
“(We) hang our hat on toughness and the defensive side of the basketball, so I thought it was a really good fit and match.”
Despite Russell being ranked the No. 2 wide receiving prospect in his class, his agent, Justin J. Giangrande, told The Daily Orange that he feels Russell’s basketball game is more polished than his football game.
Standing 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, Russell is listed as a forward by SU Athletics. However, he stretched with the Orange’s guards pregame before participating in layup lines and a shootaround.
“He’s great,” William Kyle III said of Russell. “It feels like he’s just fit right in with the team.”
It’s to be seen how much — if any — game action Russell will receive playing basketball.
For now, he says he’s just focused on taking notes as he goes.
