What another exciting NLI Day! Let’s get right to it…
It was one of the most successful recruiting days in Syracuse history, writes Scout.com’s Mike McAllister. The 20 signed recruits averaged 2.95 stars, according to Scout, its highest number since Scout’s inception in 2001. SU ranks 43rd nationally with that average.
Part of the reason for SU’s success is that Syracuse won a huge recruiting battle on Wednesday morning, with defensive end Jaquwan Nelson keeping his pledge to the Orange, according to Syracuse.com’s Stephen Bailey. SU had to fend off a late push from Georgia and Kentucky, though Georgia told Nelson that it had run out of room in its recruiting class. “He just finally realized that Syracuse is where his heart is,” his coach said.
It wasn’t all positive news, as DeVaughn Cooper, a three-star wide receiver that was committed to Arizona, chose to keep his commitment on Wednesday afternoon. Cooper had been considering Arizona State and Syracuse, as well, although if you look at that video, there wasn’t even a Syracuse hat sitting in front of Cooper as a choice.
» Related: DeVaughn Cooper to choose between Syracuse, Arizona, Arizona State
Another recruit that Syracuse lost on signing day was Homestead (Fla.) prospect Rashad Smith. Originally committed to FAU, Smith flipped to Syracuse before flipping back on signing day. The linebacker was also considering Temple and Bowling Green.
SU had no New York or New Jersey recruits in this year’s class. Well, that’s because by the time coach Dino Babers got to Syracuse, all the good recruits were gone, Bailey writes. Said Babers: “We were a little bit too late on New York. But that’s not going to be our attitude going forward.”
And now, the 2017 cycle begins. Ocean Lakes (Va.) running back Khalan Laborn tweeted on Wednesday evening that he had received an offer from Syracuse. He is a four-star prospect, and the No. 8 overall recruit at his position according to Scout. He already holds offers from FSU, Virginia Tech and Georgia, among others.
Another 2017 recruit to announce a Syracuse offer on Twitter was Potomac (Md.) running back Tayon Fleet-Davis. He holds offers from Indiana, Iowa and Maryland, among others.
Finally, the Orange offered Nathan Proctor, a four-star linebacker from Lackey (Md.), he reported on Twitter. Syracuse joins California, Florida and UNC, among others, in offering him.
Hope you enjoyed our Day 1 walk through of the 2017 recruiting cycle!
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