While the 2024 receiver room might already be set for SU football, head coach Fran Brown wants to add more talent from the 2026 class. 247 Sports posted yesterday that five-star 6-foot-5 wideout Calvin Russell has “warm interest” in Syracuse for next season.
The Florida native has received offers from over 50 schools like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. Yet, he has only expressed “warm” interest in three universities heading into the 2024-25 school year. Those are Florida State, UMiami, and Syracuse.
According to 247 sports, Russell is ranked as the second-best wide receiver and prospect in Florida. Nationally, he comes in at 14th among all players.
Russell took an unofficial visit to SU in late March of this year. 247 sports analyst Tom Loy recently said that Syracuse football has been doing a “phenomenal job” in the recruitment of Russell.
Getting the Florida native to the 315 would be a huge commitment for Brown. While we still haven’t seen Brown coach a game on the sidelines, landing a player like Russell to commit to the program would continue to show prowess as a recruiter. On top of that, if SU lands the five-star, more people across the nation will start to take notice that Syracuse has been and will continue to compete with the top schools for elite-level prospects.
It also helps that Russell’s high school teammate, defensive lineman Eric Thomas, is committed to SU for 2025. Both Thomas and Russell attend Miami Northwestern Senior High in Florida.
While many people are excited about the talent on the 2024 roster, it’s never too early to start thinking about the future. SU already has two four-star verbal commits from Florida, and adding another guy like Russell would raise a lot of eyebrows.
2026 is far away, but if Brown can start gaining interest from superb talent across the country, SU’s future is more than bright.
