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Doug Marrone has offered 3-star LT Alex Officer out of Eastridge High School in Rochester. Officer is rated as the second-best recruit in New York for the Class of ’13. He’s a smart target since the Dougie is shuffling through his current quarterback options and actively seeking new ones. Meanwhile, SU waved goodbye to some key linemen in Andrew Tiller and Michael Hay after last year. This year, the starting o-line is comprised primarily of upperclassmen that will be gone by the time Ryan Nassib’s successor is in his prime. Any way you slice it, Marrone knows the future of his trenches is dotted with question marks.

Officer enters his senior season at LT, and can be one of those cornerstones for Syracuse. At 6’4” 300 lbs, he’s enormous, but he’s also very quick for his size. Tape shows that he sticks to his blocks like super glue, and has fantastic football IQ. When he disarms his man, AO instinctively picks up another guy. He’s the kind of blocker who is playing the line-game in his head as well as with his hands. Officer is also a bulldozer as far as opening up lanes for the run attack.

This past February’s recruiting class included four offensive linemen for SU. There is a pressing need for long-term, solid depth and stability at OL. This need becomes even more urgent since the Orange will be starting a first-year quarterback next season. The position may very well be occupied by dual-threats like Terrel Hunt, Ashton Broyld or maybe even an elite recruit like A.J. Long. Officer represents closing the New York borders, and another important in-state recruit at a position that is essential to fielding a productive offense with a young QB next year.

SU isn’t the only school to extend a scholarship to Officer. Pittsburgh, UMass and Old Dominion have since done the same. With Pitt’s Todd Graham scurrying off to coach Arizona State and Old Dominion playing in the FCS, it seems the Orange would be a front-runner. However, Massachusetts may have a special angle. According to MaroonMusket.com, UMass TE Jerome Lewis is Officer’s older brother despite a different last name.

But a budding offensive tackle with a chance to play for former lineman Marrone, just an hour away in Rochester? Seems like a natural fit. Officer would be the latest victory in Marrone’s battle to win the Empire State, and an important piece of an offensive line in need of some building blocks.

Posted: Jake Moskowitz

High School Football Huddle

Doug Marrone had never offered a sophomore quarterback until February. Now he’s done in twice in just ten weeks. In February it was Ohio signal-caller DeShone Kizer, today it’s Pennsylvania’s A.J. Long.

The super soph of Bangor, PA received his second college offer from the Orange, the first coming from UCLA. Long sent a text message to ESPN.com to confirm the offer. Long finished up his second season at Pius X High School with some astounding numbers through the air: 3,700 yards and 46 touchdown passes.

But that’s just the beginning. He can sling it down the sideline or get it done on the ground. Long rushed for 931 yards and reached the end zone 17 times. If you’re counting he accounted for an eye-popping 63 touchdowns last season. While Kizer stands at 6’5″ 205 lbs., Long is about 6’0″ 170 lbs. Then again, only heading into his junior year there is plenty of growth left for him.

The sales job for both sophomore recruits is simple for SU: opportunity. In two years both will presumably have a chance to compete immediately to be the starter. Ryan Nassib, Charley Loeb, and John Kinder will have all graduated by ’14. That leaves Terrel Hunt and “The Syracuse Slash” Ashton Broyld competing for the position. While Broyld has definitely brought excitement to campus, neither one is a long-term lock at starter.

Broyld undoubtedly brings a gifted versatility, but maybe his position is at wideout or Wildcat quarterback. Hunt’s maturity came into question because of his arrest this past January. The bottom line is Syracuse has no certainties at the position.

With Broyld, Hunt, Kizer and Long we see a bit of a pattern. Marrone is looking for QBs who can widen the playbook, and make things happen athletically. One of Marrone’s biggest goals for spring practice was finding more impact plays on the offensive end. All four quarterbacks provide this potential.

Syracuse is once again banking on the equity built up by being one of the first to offer a top prospect. UCLA is already in on Long, and one would imagine other top offers will follow in his final two seasons at Pius X. The Orange have to hope being among the earliest tops being among the best.

Long also has played in big games already in his young career, as Pius X is a powerhouse and has made repeated state title runs. Get ready for a new era of SU football where offering players as young as sophomores becomes the norm, and that starts at the much-needed quarterback spot.

Posted: Brendan Glasheen

Here’s who/what the NCAA’s enforcement staff is looking at:

• Everett High School

Nerlens grew up in Everett, spent his first two years of high school there, then decided to transfer and play basketball at the posh Tilton Academy in New Hampshire. Everett’s principal, Louis Baldi, said the meeting lasted over an hour and centered on “concerns we had as adults” for Noel. “He said the conversation was similar to one he had with a reporter in February about Noel’s background and the people surrounding him.” That would be for the expose the Times ran on Noel’s shady recruitment. Back in March Baldi had this haunting statement:

Baldi said he was “extremely concerned” about Noel, and said that his recruitment reminded him of a boxer with a teeming entourage in his heyday who might find himself penniless upon retirement. “I pray it works out for him and that the light turns on in his head,” Baldi said of Noel. “I pray it’s not too late.”

The Everett community was always bitter its homegrown star left for the gleaming private school hours away. Wouldn’t be surprised if this is where some major leakage came from.

• Leo Papile, Noel’s old coach with Boston Amateur Basketball Club

The NCAA staffers were unable to get ahold of Papile (at least for now). Which is probably a good thing for Noel. When asked about Noel’s handler, the ultra-shady Chris Driscoll, Papile said in the original Times story:

“He’s a great disappointment to me. I thought he had wanted to be a coach, but it appears that his primary object was to be a handler. He’s not a teacher, he’s not a coach. Bluntly, you’re dealing with the worst guy I’ve ever known in this game.”

If there’s anyone willing to really dish dirt on Driscoll it would probably be Papile. All along he seemed to be one of the precious few with Noel’s best interests at heart, and was crushed when N2 followed Driscoll. Papile appears to absolutely despise Driscoll (and who wouldn’t?). This could be huge if Papile gets involved.

• Errol Randolph, Everertt High Substitute Teacher

Just so happens Randolph is one of Noel’s advisors and seems to have a direct connection to a sports agency. Oy.

“Randolph had a link on his LinkedIn page directing people to the Web site of the sports agency run by the prominent basketball agent Andy Miller. The link to Miller’s ASM Sports Web site has since been removed.

Randolph said that he had no formal affiliation with Miller and had never received money from him, and that the Web site ended up on his LinkedIn page because he was browsing it. Randolph said he knew Miller from another relationship more than 10 years ago.”

Whoops! Funny how that happens, huh? Can’t believe I had that link up to on my LinkedIn page. Better take it down when the NCAA comes knocking. This much we know, Team Noel is not the sharpest fades in the barber shop.

• Nerlens’ finances

The NCAA is looking at how N2 funded his trips to Louisville and Kentucky last year. Neither trip was paid for by the schools. Will this come back on UK or will it all land at the feet of Noel’s handlers? It triggers an interesting quote from the Times original piece.

Tilton’s headmaster Jim Clements said the school had had extensive discussions with Noel and his mother about the difference between official and unofficial visits and how to “not engage in behavior that would create a violation” of N.C.A.A. rules. “I don’t think his primary focus is a student’s well-being,” Tilton coach Marcus O’Neil said of Driscoll.

Tilton was aware pretty quickly sketchy stuff was happening with its prized hoops star, and started trying to limit the collateral damage back then. Eventually Tilton got so spooked by the whole Noel situation they barred the next guy from their campus altogether…

• Chris Driscoll, Mr. Shady

This guy keeps popping up as the definition of awful. Papile called Driscoll “the worst guy I’ve ever known in this game” (which is pretty bad when you consider the AAU circuit as a whole). Driscoll latched onto Noel early, knowing he would be his ticket to the big time. He was hired then fired as an assistant at Providence. Some of the background on Mr. Shady:

Laurel Cannon, the mother of guard Gerard Coleman, called Providence administrators and claimed that her son was asked by Driscoll to fake an injury in order to lose games. The reason he asked, Cannon told Providence administrators, was so Coach Keno Davis would be fired and Driscoll could take over. “No one wants someone to see their child used as a product; no one does,” Cannon said. “He had us fooled. He really had us fooled.”

Tilton Coach O’Neill: “He told me that he thought he was going to be the next coach at Providence College and that I could be his assistant. All I had to do was help him to get Nerlens Noel to commit to Providence College. ‘Nerlens is my last chance,’ O’Neil recalled Driscoll saying. ‘I need to score, and I need to score big.’”

Former Iowa State star Will Blaylock: “Driscoll instructed him to call the athletic director, Bruce Van De Velde, and say he would attend another university unless Iowa State hired the assistant Wayne Morgan as Eustachy’s replacement.”

It’s a rogue’s gallery of handlers surrounding Noel’s recruitment. You know how the NCAA works. The association has no “investigative team.” It sits around playing Angry Birds all day, then waits until the Times or Yahoo! breaks news. The NCAA then snaps into action months later, making phone calls and taking some business trips. The danger is, once the NCAA starts asking questions, it gets answers it doesn’t want to hear. It’s then forced to act on this information.

Will it get enough to nail Kentucky to a cross? Probably not. Hell, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Anthony Davis’ dad was shopping him to the highest bidder. Davis played without incident at UK, and ended up cutting down the nets. But Noel does seem to have an enormous amount of smoke around him, maybe more than any other high-profile recruit of the last decade or so. And depending on his level of involvement with Mr. Shady, it certainly can’t help Noel’s eligibility. After dealing with Bernie Fine, Fab Melo and the drug reports, it’s not a bad thing the NCAA inquisition won’t land at the door of SU to ask about Noel. I’m sure overzealous Wildcat fans will storm this comments section and start calling it sour grapes. Whatever. You get the feeling we’re just peeling back the first layers of this onion – and it’s gonna make someone cry.

Posted: D.A.

ESPN Rise

Locking down the Big Apple has been a priority of Doug Marrone, and because of it Syracuse may land a dynamic 1-2 punch. Highly sought-after DE Ebenezer Ogundeko from New York City confirms to The Fizz he and fellow Brooklyn-ite Augustus Edwards want to play together in college. “That’s definitely the plan,” admitted the huge 6’4″, 265 lb. edge rusher. Edwards is a running back from Tottenville HS, and he has played against Ogundeko his whole life. Ebo and AE are two of top prospects in the state, and whoever lands the duo is getting a huge impact pair. Ogundeko says the plan is already in the works.

“Me and him, our personalities are the same and we are pretty cool people. We look forward to seeing each other, and doing damage on the field for the next four or five years.”

Ebo piled up 11 sacks and 79 tackles last season and has over 20 scholarship offers from schools like Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. But the fly in the ointment is that none of those schools have offered the 6’2” Edwards. It seems crazy for Ebenezer to pass up offers to the nation’s most dominant BCS schools just to play with his boy, but the Orange is doing its part.

Syracuse, UConn, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, Purdue and Vanderbilt are the only schools that have offered both players. Bama has shown Edwards some interest but has not yet offered. It might seem like a no-brainer for the Tide, Irish and Buckeyes to throw a bone to Edwards just to land Ebo. But those schools will have far better RB prospects to pick from, and there are hard scholarship limits in college football. Is Ebo worth the package deal for national champion contenders?

Edwards did rush for over 1,500 yards last season, and possesses some great quickness in the open field despite his tall and lanky frame. Edwards and Ogundeko visited the Hill, a week before the Spring Game to hang with fellow New Yorker Wayne Morgan. Morgan said the three had a blast, and Ebo echoed the same sentiment to The Fizz.

“We had a great time, it was a great experience. I got to experience the studentand student athlete life. I got to meet some of the players, and I had a great connection with the coaches. It was fun.”

While it’s unlikely SU could ever beat Alabama or Ohio State to a player, the Orange stacks up well against the short list of schools that have offered both Brooklyn boys. The duo  is close with Wayne and Brandon Reddish, who have both have to put on their recruiting hats.

The last few weeks for Ogundeko have been chaotic as the offers keep piling up, and coaches’ visits roll in. Ever since Ebo’s de-commit from UConn in February, the madness has ensued. Ebenezer did meet and talk with the Syracuse staff on multiple occasions  recently. He chatted with Doug Marrone when he visited campus, and when the staff traveled to NYC for an in-home. In true Dougie fashion, HCDM left an impression of responsibility.

“The coaches are great. I like their personalities. They are the type of people that will take care of you.”

Coach John Anselmo has been hot on the Ogundeko recruiting trail, which will certainly heat up over the summer. One thing Ebo did truly enjoy was the Dome, maybe more than your average recruit. He admitted playing in there means a lot to him.

“Of course. [Playing in the Carrier Dome] is motivational. Playing there makes you go harder each play. You want to leave there with a win every time.”

Will Ebenezer disregard top offers from premier programs just to play with Augustus? And will one of those elite schools offer a package deal? Those answers will take some time, but in the meantime it’s good to know Morgan will be discussing those plans all summer with his Brooklyn bros.

Posted: Kevin Fitzgerald

NY Daily News

“St. John’s, they’ve been coming pretty hard. Rutgers for sure. Syracuse was going pretty hard.”

“An environment I can get used to and a coaching staff where I can really fit in. Where I can find a strategy team to find my niche easily.”

DB Photography

“It was one of the first schools to offer him last summer, his favorite player is Orange alum Carmelo Anthony, he would like to play in the Carrier Dome one day, has developed a bond with the coaching staff and likes the program’s frenzied fan base.”

“Right now they are just the best school for me. You never know who might come around or how the program might change in two years.”

“I want a program that will be good down the road, not just good right now, because I won’t be in college next year.”

MSG Varsity

Jim Boeheim flew to Minnesota last weekend to watch class of 2013 point guard Tyler Ennis open his season in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. If it had taken place a year ago, the trip would have been a recruiting violation.

An NCAA rule change has given coaches the opportunity to see prospects in person at AAU and travel-team events during the final two weekends of April. In the past, coaches were barred from attending such events from the end of March until early July.

Ennis is a consensus top 10 point guard in his class from Brampton, Ontario and attended SU’s Midnight Madness this fall. He spent the day with the team and told The Fizz, “It just shows how college is and how serious that you practice, and how much of a family it is.”

He talked to us about what he specifically likes about SU. “It’s close to home. I like how they have a family atmosphere. Even when you graduate, you’re still a part of the Syracuse family.”

At the time we wrote: “He’s a pass-first player and a steadying influence on offense. None of the major recruiting services even list Syracuse as a possibility for Ennis, so it was a surprise that he attended Midnight Madness.”

CBS Sports blogger Jeff Borzello did a tremendous job of explaining why the rule change that allowed Boeheim to watch Ennis matters.

“Allowing college coaches back on the road for two weekends in April is a positive change for the recruiting calendar. With the number of recruits making early decisions nowadays, it was necessary that coaches gave prospects a true evaluation outside of the school season. There were too many scholarship offers being handed out during the spring AAU season – when coaches weren’t able to watch players.”

If a prospect wanted to commit early, coaches had to trust scouting services and other sources in order to assess that recruit. And that didn’t serve anyone well.

“If a school accepts a commitment from a player without seeing them in person, it could lead to problems. It’s one of the many reasons the transfer list is well over 300 players long and still growing, and also one of the reasons there are more de-commitments and pulled scholarships late in the recruiting process.

For example, a coach may have offered a scholarship in April without watching a prospect in person. After seeing him play a few months later, that coach may not like what he sees. Then you’re caught in an awkward relationship. Sometimes that leads to “parting ways” after freshman year?”

Boeheim recently spoke with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio about how transfers can hurt a program.

“I’m told there’s 90 guys transferring this year. And one of the things with the new academic thing (APR) is coaches really need to hold kids because when a kid transfers, you lose an academic point. That can hurt and affect your program going to the tournament, hurt the players in your program, when you start losing academic points.”

Good recruiting is as much about finding the right people as it is landing the best talent. Both the school and the athlete should completely understand what they are getting into before a letter of intent is signed, which this rule change helps ensure.

It took no time for the adjustment to help Syracuse, judging by the words of Ennis, an excellent passing and ball-handling PG, who could be a cornerstone player for the Orange.

“It feels good to have a Hall of Fame coach coming out to your games to watch you and show interest in you.”

An extra chance to take a visit gave Boeheim another opportunity to develop a relationship with a consensus top-10 point guard in the 2013 class.

Posted: Andrew Kanell

SILive.com

While expectations might be varied for this upcoming Syracuse season, there are some bright spots and young talent on this team. Doug Marrone has his best recruiting class coming in, and has made strides extending the recruiting pipeline through ACC territory.

Even though we’re only at Spring Football, the coaches are already working on the ’13 recruiting class. The Fizz chatted with NCSA’s Randy Taylor who broke down some of the high profile recruits SU is after led by Peach State product Alvin Karmara. But Marrone has made it his mission to dominate recruiting in the New York/New Jersey area. The Fizz breaks down the top three Empire State prospects that Syracuse is after.

Augustus Edwards – RB (Tottenville HS, Staten Island)

Edwards is a big back at 6’1″ 21o lbs. and has good vision hitting holes quickly. As a junior he had a solid season, accumulating 1,411 total yards, 9 total TDs for the Pirates. He tallied these numbers playing second fiddle to a passing game headlined by SU commit Alvin Cornelius, which has to help the Orange land him. It could have the same effect as Brandon Reddish helping reel in Wayne Morgan.

Edwards has made visits up to the Hill and the SU coaching staff is going hard after him. He has offers from Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Temple, UConn and Purdue. SU has started targeting big play running backs every class, so Edwards could be the ’13 addition.

LaRay Smith – RB (Xaverian HS, Brooklyn) 

Smith is also an impact back, considered that rare can’t miss player from New York. At 6’2″ 185lbs. he is a speedster with a ton of wiggle. LaRay says it’s his speed that sets him apart from most.

“I’m not the biggest running back, but the one thing that stands out is my speed. It stands out a lot. It’s better for the team to have a speed back, for those outside plays – the open field. I feel like I’m an all-purpose back that if you want to, you can put me out at wide receiver and I can run to the middle, outside, inside, all around.”

Last season Smith posted 993 yards rushing on only 135 carries (7.36 avg) and found pay dirt 11 times. He could be a killer on the Dome’s fast track. Smith doesn’t have big time scholarships on the table right now. Buffalo, UConn, and Western Michigan are his offers. Here are his highlights.

Ebenezer Ogundeko – DL (Thomas Jefferson HS, Brooklyn)

Ogundeko stands at 6’3″ 230 lbs. and might be the most talented player in the state. He had had 79 tackles and 11 sacks for the Orange Wave last season.

SU was the first to offer him, but faces fierce competition. He seems to be Jarron Jones 2.0 – a huge defensive hulk gaining major interest from outside the Northeast. EO has offers from Arizona State, Boise State, Boston College, UConn, Maryland, Stanford, Rutgers and Ohio State. He originally committed to the Huskies in February, but quickly decommitted in March to reopen his recruitment.

Ebenezer is quick for his size and is always in the backfield. He is a pass rushing specialist who will create havoc in the backfield. Syracuse needs to lock up the top talent in New York to get the program to a higher level. Winning the Ogundeko sweepstakes against the big dogs like Ohio State and Stanford would be huge. Here’s his highlights.

The recruiting season never stops, and Marrone needs to lock up as much NYS talent as he can before SU joins the ACC to compete in a top football conference.

Posted: Dave Van Moffaert

• N2 FizzCast: Listen to Team Fizz discuss Nerlens’ Decision

Considering the fallout from Lebron James’ one-hour special, one would expect influential recruits and free agents to approach similar events carefully.

On the whole, Noel and Shabazz Muhammad (the top two recruits in the nation) played the evening pretty low-key. It was just unfortunate that Nerlens had to preface his decision with “I’m taking my talents to…”  before he swiveled around to reveal the “UK” shaved into the back of his head.

• It was nice to see Muhammad choose UCLA. At least John Calipari didn’t sweep the night clean. Muhammad eloquently described his desire to embrace the challenge of a Bruins program that has undergone some recent turmoil.
• The brief digression with John Thompson, Jim Boeheim and Calipari sporting photoshopped flattops was ESPN at its peak level of annoyingness. Everyone watching was thinking, “Just let the guy announce his decision already!”
• The lined-up hats had a lot of people fooled. Syracuse and Kentucky had very bland caps, while the Georgetown representative was a comparably modern-looking. It appeared to be a subtle give-away that Noel would pick up the Hoyas hat. Little did anyone know, he would leave all the hats on the table.
• When N2 paused after “the University of,” he wasn’t creating very much suspense. But here’s guessing Syracuse and Georgetown fans were hoping for a split second he had things mixed up. Chancellor Nancy Cantor was already applying to change the school’s name to “The University of Syracuse” if it brought Noel to campus.

Even if your heart wanted Nerlens to wear Orange, it’s obvious why he’ll wear blue. Anthony Davis went to Kentucky and lived out a dream scenario. He gobbled up almost every award of significance and led Kentucky to a National Championship. Noel, who is similar in style to Davis but might even have more talent, can step right into Davis’ shoes and have a chance to re-accomplish every feat Davis did. Watching Kentucky cut the nets in New Orleans was easily the best recruiting pitch Noel received.

John Calipari proved his one-and-done system works. And from all accounts, Nerlens wants his tenure in college to be brief. If he wants immediate success, it’s tough to deny that the Wildcats make the most sense.

Where does Syracuse go from here?

The Orange is still in a favorable spot. Even without Noel, Syracuse will prove it’s an unwavering national powerhouse. Dozens of programs have the ability make the occasional deep tourney run. All it takes is a group of upperclassmen that hits its stride at the right time. The truly dominant programs are the ones that do it year after year, regardless of who they’ve lost and how young their core is.

The Orange will lose (arguably) its four most valuable players from this past season. Yet it still appears Boeheim has put his team in position to do some damage in March.

DaJuan Coleman is a tank, and will bring some much-needed rebounding to the SU frontcourt. Rakeem Christmas and Michael Carter-Williams should improve drastically in their sophomore campaigns. Brandon Triche and James Southerland will return as seniors, both having played their best basketball down the stretch. C.J. Fair has been Mr. Consistent since he arrived as a freshman. And Trevor Cooney (coming off a redshirt year) will be the X-Factor as a lights-out shooter with unheralded athleticism.

Nerlens Noel would have made SU the favorite to win it all. But the Orange is still a contender regardless.

Posted: Andrew Kanell