Dino Babers and Syracuse continue to make their mark in Florida. And no, they are not the ones printing oranges on the state’s license plates. Three star tight end Aaron Hackett committed to the Orange last night, making him their fifth player in the Class of 2017 from the Sunshine State and the 16th overall recruit. Hackett is the 82nd rated tight end in the country according to 247sports.com. The Venice High School product listed Syracuse in his final two schools, and the Orange beat out Hackett’s home state school South Florida. He also turned down notable offers from Louisville, Cincinnati and Florida Atlantic. The tight end visited Syracuse this past Thursday and made his decision official Saturday night.
The 6-foot-3 tight end is dangerous around the goal line and uses his frame and leaping ability to his advantage. He is also an excellent run blocker on the outside who can seal off the edge. In the passing game, Hackett is very effective in the seams and is not afraid to go over the middle to reel in a pass
Although tight end is not a high volume position in terms of offensive production in Dino Babers’ offense, it is an important one in the red zone. Last season, five of the 27 receptions by Bowling Green’s tight ends went for touchdowns. Hackett fits this mold very well and could step into the tight end role right away. By the time the tight end arrives at SU, all but one of the current players at the position will have graduated. The lone tight end on the roster come 2017 is PJ Batten who will be a redshirt senior and has yet to play a snap. The Orange does have its eye on Charles Reeves, a fellow three star tight end. Hackett and Reeves could form a scary tandem on the goal line for the Orange.
