Patience is a virtue, right? That’s not the case when it comes to football recruiting, specifically for Syracuse. Nabbing prospects in the state of New Jersey has all of sudden gone from the least of the Orange’s¬†worries to a top priority on a lengthy to-do list.
 
It’s pretty obvious the program saw an area of concern. Between the 2013 and 2014 recruiting classes combined, the Orange collected just two Garden State products (Jamal McGloster ’13, Rodney Williams ’14).
 
So, the response? Well, Syracuse just added a quartet of 2015 New Jersey signees in DE Jake Pickard, DE Kenny Carter, CB Daivon Ellison and hopefully RB Dontae Strickland (academic issues).
 
To drive this message even further, SU kicked things into high gear Sunday, as primary recruiter Bobby Acosta hosted six New Jersey recruits On the Hill. Drum-roll…
 
            Anthony Brown (Holmdel, NJ)        6’3” 185 lb. Dual-Threat Quarterback
 
            Will Fries (Cranford, NJ)                 6’6” 270 lb. Offensive Lineman
 
            Tyler Thompson (Oakhurst, NY)    5’11” 180 lb. Running Back
           
            Gene Coleman (Oradell, NJ)            6’0” 178 lb. Wide Receiver
 
            Sal Mauro (Oradell, NJ)                   6’3” 245 lb. Defensive End
 
            Emmanuel Appiah (Oradell, NJ)     6’1” 175 lb. Cornerback//Wide Receiver
 
Immediate impressions: there’s a heck of amount of talent, here. Examining OL Will Fries alone, he’s got offers from South Carolina and Clemson. RB Tyler Thompson has Virginia and Penn State listed. Gene Coleman has Louisville and UNC down, plus Rutgers (damn Rutgers). It’s very important Syracuse is not only competing with the best in the country, but also a wide-range of programs in and out of the conference. SU should have its name involved with almost every prized player being scouted within the ACC. That concept proves aggressiveness and willingness to do what it takes.
 
This is just a brief look at the New Jersey prospects, but pretty neat to see Coleman, Mauro and Appiah all from the same school, Bergen Catholic, unite on the SU campus to visit. Pipelines are vital to success in the recruiting department. Perhaps Bergen is in the works to become a hefty network down the road.  
 
Hate to disrupt what the current Orange squad is up to during spring practice. This news, though, is so enlightening. Just like that, after two campaigns in 2013 and 2014 breezed by New Jersey-less, adding Garden State talent has shifted from a minority to a priority for Syracuse football. Amen.
Posted:  Brendan Glasheen
