Yes, that picture is real. Syracuse football’s 2025 recruiting class is ranked above Georgia right now. The Orange, according to 247 Sports, have a top-15 class in the nation.
New head coach Fran Brown has already done wonders this offseason, bringing in top-40 rankings in the class of ‘24 and this season’s transfer class. If you had concerns of Brown being a one-hit wonder, those concerns should be eased.
Despite the high ranking, there are some things to keep in mind. For one, SU already has 10 commitments. That’s substantially more than other teams ranked below the Orange, so as those teams catch up in number of commitments, they could leapfrog Syracuse football in the 2025 recruiting rankings.
Another point of hesitation is that SU has just one four-star recruit and no five-star recruits. Every other team in the top-20 has multiple four-stars.
So that’s the negative, but what’s the positive? Well, firstly, it’s clearly splitting hairs to be pointing out any flaws with what could be one of the program’s best recruiting classes ever.
Another great sign is that Syracuse is winning locally. Darien Williams and Matthew Hawn, two stars at the local Christian Brothers Academy, have both committed to stay in town and play for the Orange. Yes, SU should dominate in CNY, but it hasn’t always happened, so returning to form is nice.
Beyond New York, Syracuse is also getting it done outside its usual region. SU has two commits from Texas: quarterback Luke Carney and offensive tackle Byron Washington. Bringing in recruits from a football hub down south is a great sign from Syracuse football’s 2025 recruiting class.
Lastly, looking deeper into the future, the Orange also got a recent commitment from Demetres Samuels, a four-star recruit in the class of 2026. The athlete is ranked as high as 80th nationally.
Fran Brown started hot as a recruiter, and so far, he’s staying hot. And, if you have concerns about Brown as an on-field coach, he has an answer to that.
“How we recruit you, it’s how we’re going to coach you. How you see me coach out here, it’s the way we recruit. It’s the same.”
