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Depth in the Field: Syracuse Eyes Wide Receiver Najee Clayton

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via 247sports

A team can never be too deep at a position.

Syracuse has had recent success at the wide receiver position. The Orange receivers do big things in Syracuse and some move on and do bigger things in the NFL.

Najee Clayton, a wide receiver from Paramus, N.J., could be one to fit into the offensive mix. The 6’2” receiver out of Paramus Catholic High School, and a potential member of the class of 2015, is said to have medium interest in playing for Syracuse.

A 3-star recruit, Clayton may have special interest in Syracuse because of its proximity to home and because it’s one of the more prominent programs in the New York/New Jersey area. Clayton has quick hands and almost resembles fast playback, but in present time. His wingspan allows him to reach catches and he sees open spots on the field for yardage opportunities.¬†

The Syracuse coaching staff has done a tremendous job in making lesser-known receivers more noticeable—meaning, they turn average receivers into better receivers. This is why SU uses so many receivers: because it’s hard to choose which one to put on the field. Each man helps, and Clayton could fit into a system just like that. 

Clayton also has interest in Arizona, Boston College, Cincinnati, UConn, Florida, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, UCLA, USC and Virginia. Being a kid from Jersey, some may expect him to have heavy interest in Rutgers.

The receiver is listed as the 13th best player in the state of New Jersey and the 81st best at the wide receiver position, according to ESPN’s Recruiting Nation. ESPN also says that Iowa and Old Dominion have made offers to Clayton. 

Clayton could find himself in a big role early in his college career at Syracuse. He still has to play his senior season at Paramus Catholic High School. Most of Syracuse’s current receivers are sophomores, juniors, and seniors. By the time Clayton starts his freshman season, there will be a ton of experienced players to teach him the Syracuse ropes.

He could catch passes from Terrel Hunt, who has connected with most of his receivers. Hunt doesn’t have a go-to receiver, and that just gives everyone more exposure and opportunities to contribute. That is what makes these receivers so good – they’re all getting the same amount of attention. This is a good fit for Clayton because he would get to play in a system, as a freshmen, where everybody, regardless of what year they are, gets touches on the ball.

The Fizz hopes to connect with Clayton and learn more about his recruiting process.

Posted by: Austin Pollack

The Fizz is owned, edited and operated by Damon Amendolara. D.A. is an ’01 Syracuse graduate from the Newhouse School with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

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