Late Saturday afternoon, Twitter would have you believing in the #OrangeRevolution, a hashtag being used by the Orange’s 2016 recruiting class and recruiting staff. After an incredibly slow start to the recruiting cycle, the Orange is finally beginning to build some recruiting momentum.
Scoop Bradshaw became the sixth member of the recruiting class, meaning that the class has doubled in size in the last week alone. The Orange earned a commitment from outside linebacker Will Harper yesterday, and Bradshaw’s high school teammate Rex Culpepper earlier in the week.
Rivals and Scout both give Bradshaw two stars. As always, rankings are fluid, and by next season, his stock could rise. However, Orange fans shouldn’t worry about Bradshaw going anywhere, as he has strong ties to another commit, as well as the scheme that the Orange defense runs.
Bradshaw unofficially visited the campus with his high school quarterback, Culpeper, last week, and after speaking with his coach, pulled the trigger on SU. This commitment has a couple of implications, both which bode well for the Orange.
First, Orange fans have to appreciate the Culpepper commitment now, more than ever. When Robert Washington first committed to the team, the fan base was excited to see what other kind of recruits he would convince to play with him in Central New York. However, it seems like Culpepper is the one pulling the strings and convincing ex-teammates to commit to SU.
Second, it is good to see that the Orange recruiting staff is still having luck in Florida. With George McDonald’s departure from the program, it was unknown whether or not the team would be able to contend in Florida without him. While both Culpepper and Bradshaw are from Tampa (the west coast of the state), it has to be calming to know that the coaching staff is still active in the region.
Bradshaw stands at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, and had offers on the table from schools like Indiana, South Florida, and Utah, among others. Last season, he tallied an impressive 110 tackles, 26 of which were for a loss. He is a run-stuffing defensive back who will play either corner or safety in college.
