The 2016 recruiting class filled up in the blink of an eye, and without missing a beat, the Orange coaching staff is already looking towards 2017’s talent.  Already with two players committed for three seasons down the road, the Orange is looking to follow-up on 2016’s talent with a new batch of talented football players.
Receiver Daewood Davis out of Florida and hometown New York linebacker Isaiah McDuffie are the only two commitments in the Orange’s class of 2017.  To put it into perspective, these kids are currently entering their junior year of high school.
That might change soon, however, because on Friday morning, SU became one of six teams to make the top-ten list of four-star wide receiver Juwan Burgess.  He has not named the other four teams yet, but for the time being, SU has some stiff competition in Clemson, Florida, Virginia Tech, Florida State and the University of Miami.  The fact that the Orange made the initial list of six is pretty surprising and is definitely a positive thing for Scott Shafer’s quality over quantity mentality.  The team extended an offer to the wide out in the beginning of July.
What business does the Orange have in this elite group of schools?  Well, Burgess currently attends Plant High School, where he is teammates with future Orange QB Rex Culpepper and defensive back Scoop Bradshaw.  Of course, the verbal commitments from these two recruits in the class of 2016 are non-binding until February, although with Culpepper’s recent ACL tear, it would be difficult to see him generate interest while he is recovering off the field during his senior year.
The strongest connection that Burgess has to the Orange is clearly Culpepper, as the SU staff can sell the receiver on maintaining his relationship with his current quarterback at the next level.  Look no further than recent-verbal Moe Neal, who is attending SU with teammate Robert Washington, to see how much a personal connection like this can sell.
It won’t be easy for the Orange to sway “Freakshow Joe” away from Florida football powerhouses like Miami, Florida, and FSU, so the coaching staff will need to stay in the 6-foot receiver’s head if it wants to have any shot.  In the coming weeks, look for Burgess to name four other schools to his top-ten, which could include even more talented schools like Ohio State, Georgia, and UCLA.
