For months (six to be exact), we thought that Syracuse’s 2019 recruiting class was complete. Some thought it was a bit underwhelming coming off of a magical ten-win season, while others thought it had a chance to be a diamond-in-the-rough type cycle for the Orange.
Whichever way you thought, the assumption was that the only way someone’s opinion on the newest batch of recruits could change would be after the season when at least some of them had played a couple of snaps. Well, it turns out you might be able to change your mind now if you’d like.
Seemingly out of nowhere, news broke late last week that Canadian WR Kevin Mital was set to become a member of the Orange’s 2019 roster once he receives his student visa. In a report from Richard Boutin of Le Journal De Montreal, the standout wideout has officially been cleared to come to the United States through a waiver from the NCAA Clearing House.
As of now, Mital has yet to be ranked by any major recruiting service and actually doesn’t even have a profile on any of the sites. Right now, he’s a bit of a question mark, but we’re here to help you out a bit and allow you to get to know the young Canadian.
The Education and The Geography
Last year, Mital attended Collège André-Grasset, a school at the CEGEP level of post-high school in Canadian football (think along the lines of a prep school like IMG Academy in the United States). André-Grasset is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which is a province that fans familiar with the recruiting work that Syracuse has done in the last two years have to come to know pretty well. The Orange signed two other recruits out of Quebec City, Quebec in the 2019 class in linebacker Geoff Cantin and offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron. SU also added 2020 safety Ben LaBrosse (currently the highest rated player in the Orange’s 2020 class) also out of Montreal just a few weeks ago. Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Tyrell Richards and junior offensive lineman Patrick Davis both also hail from north of the border.
The Numbers
These are very, very impressive to say the least. Mital led D1 RSEQ CEGEP in receiving yards (1,058 – 214 more than the next closest player) and touchdowns (17 – 10 more than the next closest player). According to his highlights on YouTube, the receiving yards were the second most in a season in D1 RSEQ CEGEP history and the 2,438 he had in his two-year career were an all-time league record as were his 35 touchdowns. The 17 TDs this year were also the best single-season performance in CEGEP history. On top of all that, he averaged over 22 yards per catch, which was the third best mark in the league. Those numbers are ridiculous.
The Accolades
When you put up those kinds of ridiculous numbers, you’re bound to reel in a few accolades and that’s exactly what Mital did this year. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was named CEGEP’s Offensive Player of the Year. They also led him to being a part of the U19 Canadian National Team that played in the 2019 International Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Dallas this past January.
The Skillset
So what exactly made Mital so successful in his high school career, you might ask. What exactly pops off the screen when you watch his tape? First and foremost, this guy is a force to be reckoned with. You can just tell that even playing the Canadian style of the game which allows for a bit freer movement and open space that Mital is super strong and powerful. He’s a willing and dedicated blocker in the run game and also uses that power and strength to create separation in the passing game. You can also see that on the defensive side of the ball where he played defensive end. He also has seemingly good hands (you can’t go for over 1,000 yards in a season if you don’t) and has shown bursts of speed and quickness that benefit him in the open field and in his route running.
Even with all those answers, Mital is still a relatively unknown asset in the Orange’s already loaded wideout arsenal and, as with all Canadian products, the question about whether or not his game will translate from the Candadian style to the American style still looms. With that being said, all signs (and stats) point to Mital being a valuable pick up for SU.
