Quality over quantity has to be the Orange’s philosophy with the recruiting class of 2016 because the previous two years the Orange brought in massive classes. ¬†They hope to take another step towards that quality recruiting class with McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.) School Safety Eric Burell who is rated 4 stars by 247 sports and is listed as the 18th ranked safety in the nation.
Burell took his visit to the Orange this past weekend and similar to Martin Mangram, what he said will make Orange fans happy.  He told Syracuse.com
I didn’t really expect anything because I haven’t been up there, but it turns out I really like it… They have a really good chance.
This news may seem like it has come out of left field and that is because it has.  Syracuse made an offer to Burell last month but neither Syracuse nor Burell seemed to think much of it until this past weekend.
Everything changed when Burell came up the Hill and met¬†with Defensive Back’s coach Fred Reed and Head Coach Scott Shafer. ¬†In these meetings Reed talked about what role Burell could play on the Syracuse defense and Burell discussed Shafer’s background and other “non-football information” with the Head Coach.
However, as reported by Syracuse.com, it was the campus that really wowed the Maryland native.
It was such a beautiful campus. I did not really expect that. It’s unbelievable compared to some other campuses I’ve seen.”
Obviously, for a football player, there is a lot more to consider when making a college decision than the campus. ¬†However, a recruits opinions on the campus and the school is often overlooked. ¬†A guy like Burell, who isn’t just going to college to train for the NFL, is looking for a place to spend the next four years of his life.
How he sees the University, not just the football program is an essential part in landing a recruit.  Clearly, on that front, the Orange are doing a good job with recruiting Eric Burell.
