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Only a few weeks remain before the calendar flips from summer to fall, and in the midst of an anticipated season for Syracuse, we cannot forget the heart of the recruiting season really starts to heat up. Players are beginning their senior seasons, so The Fizz lists the next four recruits SU should target.
We pitched a rendition of an Orange Fantastic Four from New York when the summer began with hopes of landing some big-time names. But yet SU has snagged just one off our wish-list in Augustus Edwards (a total of 8 commits thus far). The expectation following Edwards’ commitment was to pull in Ebenezer Ogundeko, but he’ll remain quiet until December. Alex Officer may have big offers heading his way besides Pitt and Syracuse, and LaraySmith may be waiting on Oregon.
Doug Marrone has optimism regarding the trio remaining of the original quartet, but a back-up plan is always important. The Fizz provides an NIT-version of a final four, and the next tier of NYC recruits the program should push for.
Ousmane Camara: OLB, WR, S¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†6‚Äô3″ 240 lbs. ¬† ¬† ¬†Bayshore, NY
Perhaps the most versatile of the bunch, Camara is a very talented, package player that can do damage on both sides. He got an invite to a rising seniors camp hosted by SU earlier in the summer, but has yet to get an offer. The three-star Long island product also camped at Rutgers, Maryland and UConn. Buffalo, James Madison, Purdue, and Stony Brook make up his offer list, but after a visit with the Terps, Camara says they lead for his services. His profile certainly fits Marrone’s preach for athleticism. Best-suited for LB, Camara can also stretch the field on offense or even help a dwindling secondary.
Malique Belfort: WR¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†6‚Äô4″ 175 lbs. ¬† ¬† ¬†Staten Island, NY
Belfort easily has the most connections to SU. The two-star wideout attends Tottenville High, the same high school as Gus Edwards and Alvin Cornelius. Cornelius is a freshman at SU, so Belfort owns the number one receiver title and hopes to take over the highlight reel. He played little league with Gus, Laray Smith, and Cornelius, and says they talk about playing together all the time. Malique hasn’t got an offer, but he told Nation of Orange that Cornelius has influential.
“Yeah, AC plays a huge factor. We’re all close friends. Him being there and them moving to the ACC definitely makes me pay more attention to them. I trust Alvin, and if he sees something in them I should want to also. He knows it’s ultimately my decision, but he puts it in my ear to visit. Once that happens I’ll feel a whole new way about them.”
Travon Reid: WR/DB¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†5‚Äô11″ 175 lbs. ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬†Brooklyn, NY
Reid was surprised when he got an offer from the Orange back in June, since he hadn’t caught the attention of larger schools yet. He has been compared to current WR Brandon Reddish, who also went to Fort Hamilton High. He had tremendous sophomore and junior seasons, which has also nabbed him offers from Temple and UMass. Temple is now in the Big East, and SU has the ACC factor. He is listed as a receiver, but SU might want to put him at cornerback. Reid could help address the lack of depth in the secondary.
Rashaad Coward: DT¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†6‚Äô5″ 270 lbs. ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬† ¬†Brooklyn, NY¬†
Another Brooklyn native makes his way into our target list. He has had plenty of interest from Rutgers, Syracuse, UConn, West Virginia and Marshall. He gained 20 pounds in the off-season to improve his strength on the line of scrimmage, and would add another piece to the defensive line if if E.O. doesn’t choose Orange. Rashaad participated in the Nike Football Training Camp Baltimore over the summer and could be a sleeper pick-up.
New York City has been good to Syracuse, and the Orange are starting to put up a fence around the five boroughs. This new package of in-state players could continue that momentum. Add these four names to the previous “Fantastic Four” list, because high school football seasons are upon us and the stock watch for these new faces is just beginning.
Posted: Brendan Glasheen
