Recruiting. That’s the name of the game for Syracuse football right now, and rightfully so after this year’s disappointing 4-8 season. If the Orange wants to move into the middle tier of the ACC, this is when it has to do it. While this past football season was a struggle, the shocking win against Clemson gives Dino Babers an advantage in this year’s recruiting cycle: no other team has beaten the Tigers yet this season. Syracuse needs to capitalize on that.  
So far this year, Babers is doing just that. Need an example? Just check out the latest defensive back to receive an offer by SU. Brendan Gant is a 6-foot-1, 176 pound safety from Lakeland, Florida.
Gant recently announced his offer on twitter:
Blessed to receive an offer from Syracuse üß°üíô pic.twitter.com/cWZ47sJnvd
— BG3Ô∏è‚É£üëπ3Ô∏è‚É£ (@TheReal_BGant) December 7, 2017
It’s safe to say this isn’t Gant’s first twitter post about receiving an offer. The four-star recruit has offers from Alabama, Florida, Miami and Florida State, just to name a few.
If you’re looking for a Class of 2019 safety, Gant isn’t a bad place to start. 247Sports ranks Gant as the 7th best safety in his class. Meanwhile, ESPN ranks Gant as the 12th best safety. No matter what number you look at, it’s not hard to realize he’d look pretty good in orange and blue. Safety is right near the top of the wish list for Syracuse football. Having guys like Gant anchor SU’s defense would help prevent games like the Orange had against Wake Forest when it gave up 64 points back in November. Zaire Franklin or Paris Bennett were great, but good defenses have talented players spread all around the field.
After watching Gant’s highlight tapes, it’s clear that size and length is his advantage. But, don’t think he doesn’t have the ability to close gaps on receivers. The Kathleen Red Devils junior also seems to have the hands of a receiver. Physicality is his strength, but he still needs to work on bringing down players in the open field.
Gant plays with swagger, something the SU defense so desperately needs. A guy like him in the back end would be a huge upgrade for the Orange. There’s no denying that a commitment from the coveted safety would also be a major upset. The front runner for Gant right now is Florida State.
Even though Florida has plenty of good collegiate football programs, that hasn’t stopped Syracuse from offering players in the sunshine state this offseason.
Now let’s see if Babers can reel one of them in.
