Hope you had a great first weekend in August, everyone. I sure know the Syracuse football coaching staff did.
The big news was obviously the commitment of Moe Neal to Syracuse. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound athlete was North Carolina’s top rated prospect at that position and picked the Orange over his other finalist, Wake Forest. One of the biggest factors for the commitment was Neal’s relationship with SU legend Floyd Little, writes the Daily Orange’s Paul Schwedelson.
The decision is significant for several reasons. First and foremost, it fills a big need for Syracuse at its hybrid position, which is something that was not lost on Scout.com recruiting analyst Michael Clark. “He is a polished route-runner and catches the ball well. Neal needs to continue add weight and get stronger, but his best football is ahead of him and he should become a major playmaker in college,” Clark said.
Additionally, the commitment not only moves Syracuse up into the top 50 in recruiting class according to Rivals.com, it also could create a recruiting ripple effect. Neal says he intends on trying to flip Penn State commit Christian Colon, who was a coveted defensive tackle for the Orange. “He said he would like to take a visit up there,” Neal said to Syracuse.com’s Stephen Bailey. “We’d all like to play with each other.” Colon, Neal and Orange running back commit Robert Washington are all childhood friends.
» Related: 2017 RB Kevin Mensah puts Syracuse football in his top six
Switching to basketball, 2016 big man Sedee Keita definitely enjoyed his weekend, picking up offers from SMU and Kansas State, according to SNY.tv’s very own, Adam Zagoria. Keita has a wide range of offers already, including Iowa State, Temple, Tennessee, Memphis and Syracuse according to 247 Sports. Currently, the Orange have 60 percent of the Crystal Ball ratings.
2016 Albany product Quinton Rose is feeling the love from SMU. Over the weekend, Rose told Rivals.com that he’s planning on taking a trip to see the Mustangs, in large part because of the respect he has for coach Larry Brown. “Definitely having a coach like Larry Brown, playing for a coach like him with NBA connections, he is in the Hall of Fame and is one of the best coaches there is,” Rose said. Syracuse has shown interest in the guard, but has not extended an offer yet.
Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi recaps Adidas Nations camp in California and made note of an impressive performance by 2017 five-star combo guard Hamidou Diallo. Bossi says that Diallo has been thrust into the point guard role because Team Africa lacks a true point guard, and while Diallo has shown a proficiency at point guard, his true strength is still getting buckets. Syracuse has shown interest in Diallo, but has not offered yet.
One final side note… Syracuse target Michael Porter Jr.’s brother, Jontay, committed to Washington over the weekend. He’s a 2018, 6-foot-9 forward and locked in his decision with three years left to go in high school. Now that’s a teenager that knows what he wants.
Have a great start to your week, everyone!
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