It’s no secret that Fran Brown has done wonders for Syracuse football in his short time under the helm. In just six months in the 315, Brown has brought in one of the top recruiting classes in the country, with a strong majority coming from his home state of New Jersey. You may say that Brown doesn’t need any help landing highly touted recruits, but he owes an assist to one of the most polarizing athletes in Syracuse University’s history: Carmelo Anthony.
Jaylen Pray is a lineman who plays both sides of the ball at the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut. Sizing up at 6’7 and 265 pounds, Pray is slated as the fourth best recruit in the state according to 24-7 Sports. The three-star recruit had offers on the table from both SU and ACC foe Boston College before Brown landed him, but it wasn’t for the reason you may think.
Pray is a dual-sport athlete at the Brunswick School, the other being manning the middle in basketball. Along with offers to play D1 football, it was reported that Pray had received D1 basketball scholarships from both Maryland and Georgia Tech. The decision to take his talents to the gridiron was one with many influences, including from Anthony.
In an article published by 24-7 Sports, it was revealed that Pray and Anthony’s son Kiyan, who has been making some waves in his own right, played on the same AAU team as middle schoolers, the New York Gauchos. After some conversations with Anthony since receiving an offer from Brown, Pray decided that Syracuse was the place he wanted to continue his career.
“(Anthony) definitely helped in that process,” Pray said when asked about his commitment back in March. “It was reaching out to the coaches and telling them about my capabilities.”
The rising senior will step onto SU’s campus in 2025 committed only as a defensive lineman. However, that decision may prove beneficial under the new regime of coaches. Defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson is bringing in a revamped system from his time at Texas A&M, one that commonly sees four down linemen. This would allow Pray to see the field more often and consistently get reps even as an underclassman.
Nonetheless, the landing of Pray marks yet another success story on the recruiting boards for Brown and company. It will be interesting to see how the culture of Syracuse athletics continues to rise with the new faces in new places, and the future that will keep being created with success in recruiting.
