Instant Juice: Syracuse announces 2017 class

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Syracuse seeks just its second November win over the last four seasons on Saturday vs. Boston College
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Syracuse welcomed its incoming 2017 class on Tuesday

A quick take on Syracuse’s 2017 recruiting class on LOI day:

WHAT HAPPENED: Syracuse is set to announce its incoming class on Wednesday afternoon, head coach Dino Babers’ second recruiting class with the Orange. Here are the 22 players who have signed their letters to play at Syracuse:

  • Patrick Davis OL 6-5 300 Gatineau, Quebec, Canada Champlain Regional
  • Nadarius Fagan LB 6-1 200 Goulds, Fla. Miami Southridge
  • Ryan Guthrie LB 6-2 215 Cumming, Ga. West Forsyth
  • Ravian Pierce TE 6-3 225 Plantation, Fla. Plantation
  • Tommy DeVito QB 6-2 200 Cedar Grove, N.J. Don Bosco Prep
  • Dakota Davis OL 6-5 315 Mount Airy, Md. Glenelg
  • Sharod Johnson WR 5-11 170 Miami, Fla. Booker T. Washington
  • Eric Coley DB 6-2 175 Manlius, N.Y. Fayetteville-Manlius
  • Allen Stritzinger RB 6-0 190 Clinton Township, Mich. De La Salle
  • Aaron Hackett TE 6-3 230 Venice, Fla. Venice
  • Kadeem Trotter LB 6-2 185 Canton, Ohio McKinley
  • Nykeim Johnson WR 5-8 165 Washington, D.C. Friends Academy
  • Cameron Jordan WR 6-3 195 Wheatley Heights, N.Y. Half Hollow Hills West
  • Tyrell Richards LB 6-3 220 Brampton, Ontario, Canada Clarkson Secondary
  • Chris Elmore FB 6-0 280 Chicago, Ill. Phillips Academy
  • Zach Morton DL 6-4 220 Detroit, Mich. Cass Technical
  • Russell Thompson-Bishop WR 6-1 200 Bloomfield, Conn. Bloomfield
  • Brandon Berry DL 6-3 230 Griffin, Ga. Griffin
  • Markenzy Pierre RB 5-11 220 Kissimmee, Fla. Liberty
  • Curtis Harper DL 6-2 300 McKeesport, Pa. McKeesport
  • Kingsley Jonathan DL 6-3 245 Baltimore, Md. St. Frances Academy
  • Ifeatu Melifonwu DB 6-3 195 South Grafton, Mass. Grafton

ANALYSIS:

  1. One of the biggest wins for the Orange was being able to keep Michigan three-star defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu. Though he had committed to Syracuse earlier in the process, Michigan made a late charge, and extended him an offer during a recent visit.
  2. Nine months ago, Dino Babers scored the signature recruit of the 2017 cycle, getting a commitment from 2017 New Jersey quarterback Tommy DeVito. Some figured that DeVito would bolt from SU after he picked up offers from other programs such as Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Washington State, but DeVito stuck with his commitment and signed with the Orange on Wednesday morning.
  3. And that’s the great thing about this particular recruiting class. There were no last minute defections this year. Every commitment that Syracuse had received before NLI day ended up signing with the Orange on Wednesday. The last was DE Jonathan Kingsley, who signed shortly after 10 a.m.
  4. That will allow fans to breath easier as Syracuse hopes to make some surprise additions to the class. Tight end Ben Moos is still on the board. After decommitting from Utah in late January, the Orange made a push for his services. But keep in mind that Syracuse already has NLIs from Aaron Hackett and Ravian Pierce. There is an opportunity for immediate playing time, with Syracuse losing tight ends Cameron MacPherson and Josh Parris to graduation. UPDATE 3:02 p.m.: Moos signed with California.
  5. On the defensive side of the ball, I’d expect Syracuse to get early contributions from linebackers Tyrell Richards and Nadarius Fagan. On the other side of the ball, aside from the tight ends, WR Nykeim Johnson is a tantalizing prospect. He’s the classic Babers recruit in some ways, clocking a 4.42 40-yard dash. But he’s also undersized at 5’9″, 167 pounds. That, however, didn’t stop Brisly Estime, who is similar in size, from making a big impact at Syracuse.
  6. UPDATE 4:24 p.m.: The Orange class is actually set at 23, with former Notre Dame defensive back Mykelti Williams announcing that he signed with Syracuse. He was a three-star recruit out of high school and had spent last season with Western Community College. He has three years of eligibility left.

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.