The Orange received an early Christmas present late Sunday night when Amir Ealey (TE/DE) announced his commitment to Syracuse’s 2015 football recruiting class. The news comes at a time when three members (Mitch Kimble, Jalen Harvey and Jaston George) of the 2014 roster have announced they will be transferring from Syracuse for various reasons. Ealey is the 25th verbal commit to the class, moving Syracuse to #35 in Scout.com’s college football team recruiting rankings.
Ealey hails from Coatesville, PA and is considered a solid three-star recruit. In addition to Syracuse, he received offers from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and North Carolina. Ealey is also one of many recruits who came to visit Syracuse a few weekends ago. At 6’4”, 225 pounds, Ealey is certainty a physical specimen. His toughness showed last month when he basically played his school’s semifinals game on one hand through a thumb injury. This is the grit that Scott Shafer preached when he took the reins as head coach. Hopefully Ealey can bring this tenacity when he reaches the Hill.
So what does Ealey bring to the table? He plays both tight end and defensive end but was recruited by Syracuse to play on the defensive side of the ball. Since spots will be opening up with the departures of Micah Robinson and Robert Welch, early playing time is certainly available if the coaches deem that Ealey is ready to play on the line.
The Pennsylvania native’s versatility on both sides of the line of scrimmage could also play into his favor. Syracuse likes to mix and match players based on needs and playing time, which could allow him see the field in his freshman campaign.
Ealey’s verbal commitment is a nice win for Syracuse. The Orange has a full class in terms of numbers but still does not have a 4-star recruit in the class. While stars are certainly no measure of how good a class can become, Shafer knows how important catching a big fish can be in recruiting, especially when Syracuse is trying to take the next step with its football program. It does not appear that Syracuse will get the big fish after a horrid 2014 regular season and no 4-star prospects on the radar, despite the new indoor practice facility.
With commitments, decommitments and transfers happening what seems like every week, the next two months should be interesting before verbal pledges must turn into ink on a letter of intent.
Posted:  Zephan Mayell
