Syracuse hosted 2016 QB Jacob Hallenbeck for a visit this past weekend.
Hallenbeck had a solid junior season that included 1,258 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. Although he is a pro-style quarterback, Hallenbeck has been trying to work on his speed to become a threat through the air and on the ground.
There is no doubt that Hallenbeck would be a big pickup for the Orange. The three-star recruit hails from West Hartford, CT, and started his high school career at Avon Old Farms before transferring to Kingswood Oxford. He has an offer from North Carolina but is picking up interest from several schools including N.C. State, Rutgers, UConn, and Pittsburgh. An offer from Syracuse is expected to come soon.
One area that Hallenbeck seems to be very focused on when picking a school based on his quotes to various media outlets is the coaching staff for each team. Hallenbeck praised UConn’s coaching staff in August and liked the uptempo offense UConn was running. He visited the Huskies’ campus for a football practice late last summer.
The Connecticut native seems to be interested primarily in schools in the Northeast. This is a huge positive for Syracuse who can out muscle other local schools such as Pittsburgh and UConn when it comes to recruiting. The Orange has already seen big potential from another Connecticut player in Erv Phillips.
A commitment from Hallenbeck would be a major win for recruiting in the local region. Syracuse has made a push to recruit from other states in the Northeast region such as New Jersey, where Bobby Acosta has lead the charge. The Northeast does have a stigma for not producing blue chip recruits but locking down homegrown talent is crucial for Syracuse’s hopeful boost in recruiting.
With the spring game in a week and half, 2016 recruits will be paying attention to see what the Orange has to offer.
Posted:  Zephan Mayell
