Take a bow, Orange Nation. You’ve gotten a tip of the cap from one of the most hotly recruited Syracuse football targets in years. North Carolina RB Robert Washington is being pursued by some of the very best programs in the nation. But when speaking about Syracuse, Washington admits it’s the CNY fans that have made a huge impact.
“It’s been fun getting recruited by ‘Cuse because their fans are crazy. They started this ‘Restore 44’ campaign for me. They’ve been pretty amazing throughout the process, and it’s a school that I definitely felt belonged on the list.”
Washington, the all-purpose dynamo back, tells Bleacher Report that he’s made a decision on where to play, but he hasn’t told anyone (even his parents) yet.
The piece has some interesting anecdotes about each of the finalists, including Nick Saban saying Washington reminds him of Marshawn Lynch. If SU beats out Alabama, Michigan and Florida to a kid, it’ll be one of the greatest recruiting wins in program history.
Here’s what else the B/R report said about SU’s chances:
Somewhat surprisingly, Syracuse was the first program to be tabbed as one of Washington’s top six options. There’s been a major push to procure Washington from the Southeast since the early stages of his recruitment, and it’s become a frenzied situation in Upstate New York.¬†The “Restore 44” campaign regards a¬†potential return of the No. 44¬†to Syracuse’s sidelines. The jersey, once worn by running back legends Jim Brown and Ernie Davis, has been retired since 2005.¬†The movement dubs Washington worthy of the honor, which is quite a gesture from the Syracuse community.
Bestowing the #44 upon Washington would be perfect. I’ve never been a fan of moving it to the rafters and not using it as a recruiting tool, and having other players inherit the legacy. With Doc Gross out, hopefully this is in play to restore. Either way, as we head down the final stretch of Washington’s recruitment, awesome to see the SU fans making enough noise to get noticed by a huge recruit.
Posted: D.A.
