We’re still several months away from basketball season, but recruiting is a year-round sport. With that in mind, we have some notes from the Syracuse basketball recruiting world…
As expected, JP Estrella committed to Tennessee last week. The 2023 Brewster Academy (NH) big man is rated the 54th best recruit in his class by 247 Sports. Estrella received his first collegiate offer from the Orange, but expanded his horizons quickly after that, as his crystal ball shifted from Duke to Iowa and finally to Tennessee. His final three was the Vols, Hawkeyes and Orange.
Syracuse coaching staff quickly moved on after the Estrella news, offering 2023 big man Drew Fielder. The Southern California Academy prospect holds a four-star ranking from 247 Sports and is currently ranked 111th. He holds offers from USC, Arizona State, Boston College, TCU and Iowa, among others.
The offer comes on the heels of Syracuse offering 2023 big man William Patterson from Bishop (NY) Walsh. Patterson earned the offer at the Syracuse Elite Camp, and also holds offers from Power 6 programs Oklahoma State, Rutgers and TCU. He caught up with 247 Sports’ Dushawn London to chat about his recruitment, and told him that “everything I’ve seen so far at Syracuse has been pretty amazing and exciting.”
Two other players who earned offers from Syracuse’s Elite Camp are 2025 Canadian SG Efeosa Oliogu and 2025 guard Darius Adams from Manasquan (NJ) High. London also caught up with Oliogu who said his recruitment is going well. “I have 11 offers right now and I appreciate the coaches showing me love and offering.” Meanwhile, Adams also appeared to enjoy his visit to Syracuse. “I thought it was a great atmosphere,” Adams said to Sports Illustrated’s Mike McAllister. “Great coaches there. It was fun to learn from them and it was good competition.”
» Related: The latest with Syracuse recruits Thomas Sorber, William Patterson
Though he already held an offer before arriving, 2024 guard Robert Wright was also at Syracuse’s Elite Camp. Wright attends Neumann Goretti (PA), the same school as former SU stars Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine. London chatted with him as well, and he said about SU’s lead recruiter, Gerry McNamara: “Our relationship is great, that’s the best thing right now.”
Moving over to football, Syracuse had approximately 40 recruits on hand to watch the Orange’s 31-7 win over Louisville. The Juice Online caught up with several of those recruits, including 2027 QB Kahden Davis and 2024 OL Adam Yevchak. There were two visitors, according to McAllister, on hand worth highlighting: Texas A&M OL commit Naquil Betrand and Florida DL commit Will Norman. Betrand considered Syracuse, along with finalists Georgia, Auburn, Kentucky and Penn State before committing to Texas A&M, but it appears the Orange continue to remain involved. As for Norman, he was on campus after he committed to Florida in August over offers from blue bloods Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others.
As Syracuse looks to future classes, one name to keep in mind is 2025 offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews. His offer list includes Boston College, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee and Texas A&M, and 247 Sports’ Brian Dohn recently interviewed the Toms River (NJ) North prospect. “It’s a good school,” he said of Syracuse. “I like it a lot.” Matthews is ranked a four-star recruit and the No. 87 overall recruit in his class.
Finally, Syracuse extended an offer to Malachi Toney, he tweeted. The 2026 American (Fla.) Heritage wide receiver also holds offers from Louisville, Miami, Penn State, Texas A&M, among others.
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