Just as we all expected
We’re still a few months away from the early signing date for the 2025 class, but Fran Brown and the Syracuse Orange are gaining notice for the 2026 class.
Last week, ESPN listed four schools off to an early hot start in the 2026 football recruiting cycle and the Syracuse Orange were listed along with Florida State, Ohio State and USC.
I know all of us are used to the Orange being included in such lofty rankings, but here’s what Craig Haubert of ESPN had to say:
Fran Brown has wasted little time elevating and accelerating Syracuse’s recruiting since being hired from Georgia in late November. The Orange closed strong in the 2024 cycle, currently have a top-15 2025 class and are off to a good start in 2026. Demetres Samuel was a nice early evaluation and pickup out of Florida. The ESPN Junior 300 corner performed well at the UA Next Miami camp in March, displaying good explosiveness and speed. He shows an aggressive style of play on film.
Syracuse remained active in the fertile Florida recruiting ground, landing defender Izayia Williams. He’s a linebacker prospect who has shown good movement skills in testing. He’s a sudden and physical player on film and brings very good tools to work with. Williams can be a productive player when locked in.
Yes, we’re a long way from these players being able to put pen to paper and make the commitment binding, but it’s another sign that Brown and staff are making an impression with a different caliber of recruit. Can they hold off the SEC schools for these players? What does early commitments of this stature do for the coaches as they look to build the class? Can Syracuse fans find a healthy balance between “impending doom” and “irrational hysteria”?
While right now the 2025 class is heavily weighted towards the Northeast, getting two big early commitments from Florida means that the Orange will not be afraid of going toe to toe with the heavyweights of college football. This is shaping up to be a fun summer for sure.