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via Syracusefan.com
Yesterday, SU received two verbal commitments from offensive linemen Sam Clausman and Colin Byrne. Both players attend St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and were mainly recruited by offensive coordinator George McDonald. Clausman and Byrne are the Orange’s sixth and seventh verbal commits for the 2015 class. 3-star offensive tackle Cody Conway (Plainfield, Ill) also verbally committed yesterday. The other SU commits are running back Tyrone Perkins, running back Jordan Fredericks, defensive back Gerald Robinson Jr. and cornerback Davante Davis.
Clausman stands 6’4’’ and weighs 301 pounds. The only other Division I program to offer him a scholarship was Marshall. He may not be a big-name recruit (no major recruiting site has a profile on him), but according to floridahsfootball.com Clausman “might just be the hardest worker of them all.” His efforts in the gym clearly paid off last season. Judging from Clausman’s highlight tape, it is obvious that his strength is his best attribute. Clausman was not seriously recruited until he raised eyebrows with his performance at Nike’s 2014 Miami SPARQ (speed, power, agility, reaction, quickness) combine. 1,500 high school football players participated and Clausman finished with one of the top scores (81.39). To put that into perspective, Syracuse’s 2014 offensive line commit Denzel Ward scored just a 66.45 at a SPARQ combine last year.
Byrne is 6’5’’ and also weighs 300 pounds. The Syracuse offer was Byrne’s first and only Division I offer. He did not participate in the Miami SPARQ combine, but unlike Clausman, Rivals.com has him ranked as a 2-star recruit. Whereas Clausman plays more guard, Byrne is deployed as a tackle. He has impressive strength to create holes for runners and good speed (5.20 40-yard dash) to run out and make blocks in the open field.
Clausman and Byrne may not be as highly recruited as other Orange targets, but with their commitments Syracuse has landed two intelligent and robust players that will benefit SU’s offensive line down the road.
Posted by: Connor Morrissette
