By the time you’re reading this, Dino Babers has probably snatched up another recruit. Syracuse had a busy week on the recruiting trail constructing its 2019 class, but also picked up a late add to the 2018 roster. As of this posting, the Orange added a total of five players to their program over the past week.
DuWayne Johnson – CB, Arizona Western College
No, The Rock is not coming to Syracuse. The JuCo product is set to join the Orange this upcoming season and is a top 10 cornerback amongst junior college players in the cycle, per 247Sports. At one point, Johnson was a Virginia Tech commit, but never played a snap in Blacksburg and opted for Arizona Western. He’s a D.C. kid who played at H.D. Woodson High School, the same place that 2018 commits Juan Wallace and Ed Hendrix played at. He picked the Orange over schools like Mizzou, Arkansas and an up and coming Iowa State program. Johnson figures to compete for playing time right away at corner, a unit that returns both starters in Scoop Bradshaw and Christopher Fredrick. It’s a position that struggled last season at times, but Johnson’s presence should bring some added depth and ramp up the competition in practice.
Cornelius Nunn – ATH, Miami, FL
Babers continues to sway guys from the luscious Florida beaches to the central New York tundra. Nunn is the top commit so far in this 2019 class, according to 247Sports. He also turned down some major offers in favor of Syracuse. The three star recruit held offers from perennial powerhouses like Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Baylor and Miami. He also was offered by ACC foes like Pitt, NC State and Boston College. Nunn figures to slot in as a safety with the Orange, which makes the secondary an exciting unit for the years to come.
Anthony Red – OL, Bloomfield, CT
Red kicked off the week by committing to SU. He’s a three star lineman who didn’t switch to the offensive side of the trenches until last year. Red was previously a defensive end in the early stages of his high school career. Syracuse was Red’s only Power Five offer, but he was also getting looks from elite Big Ten programs Michigan and Penn State. The Connecticut product is a three star lineman, which is an especially important position down the road for Syracuse. We’ve seen SU have trouble keeping Eric Dungey upright, which has led to an injury riddled career. Along with that, the Orange is starting to recruit around their quarterback of the future, Tommy DeVito. He’s a pocket passer, so his scrambling ability won’t be quite like Dungey’s. That means SU needs to get quality pass blockers on the line. The Orange will have a lot of turnover on the offensive line when it passes the torch from Dungey to DeVito. Red figures to be a part of that transition.
Adrian Cole – CB, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Another Sunshine Stater is trading the sun for the snow. Cole committed on Saturday and is the fourth defensive player in the class. He is also the second player in the secondary. Babers fended off his former team, Bowling Green, as well as ACC foe Pitt and Power Five laughing stock Kansas. Cole attended the same high school, Plantation, as SU tight end Ravian Pierce and adds to a continually growing list of Florida products on the roster. That’s a good thing too, since Florida produces the most NFL talent of any other state in the country.
Geoffrey Cantin-Arku – OLB, Quebec, Canada
Unlike basketball, Canada hasn’t necessarily produced a ton of football talent. But we have seen SU recruit its neighbor to the north. The Orange might as well dip its recruiting toe into Canada since it’s practically in its backyard and is one of the biggest name programs that may resonate with Canadians because of the proximity. Cantin-Arku is a linebacker from Quebec City and will join Patrick Davis and Tyrell Richards as the only Canadians on the roster. It’s tough to tell what Cantin-Arku will bring to the table. He signed with the Orange shortly after attending one of their prospect camps this summer. Without much background available on him, the Canadian figures to be a “wait-and-see” type recruit.
