Every signing period in college football has its fair share of trials and tribulations, and it was no different for Syracuse this year. In the week leading up to the opening of the early signing period, Syracuse received a flurry of commitments as it also tried to hold on to its two top-rated recruits.
The bad news was that Syracuse wasn’t able to do the latter. Offensive lineman Vincent Carroll-Jackson—the nation’s 702nd rated recruit according to 247—flipped his commitment to Nebraska, tossing aside his Syracuse hat in a signing ceremony on Wednesday. Two days later, quarterback LaNorris Sellers—the 396th ranked player in the same rankings—did the same, revealing a South Carolina t-shirt.
But Syracuse wasn’t without its last minute surprises. On signing day, Syracuse added three new commitments, flipping OL Trevion Mack from Northern Illinois, beating out Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State for linebacker Josiah Jeffery, and signing Missouri transfer punter Jack Stonehouse.
We chatted with Stonehouse in this week’s edition of The Juice on the Cuse Podcast on a variety of topics. Of course, one of the questions we asked him was why he chose Syracuse. One factor was the relationship he formed with Syracuse special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky. “Right away when I saw (Ligashesky’s) name, I knew I wanted to talk to him, because he’s really experienced,” Stonehouse said.
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We also chatted with Stonehouse about punting in a Dome, what it’s like to come from a punting family (his father and two uncles punted at the college level, while his cousin punted in college and is also currently with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans) and what he’s looking forward to most at Syracuse.
Afterward, editor in chief Brad Bierman calls in to break down the entire Sellers decommitment and gives his take on Syracuse’s entire 2023 class to date. One note is that while Syracuse’s class is currently ranked 75th in the country, that doesn’t take into account Stonehouse or the four other transfers the Orange bring in. If it did, former four-star recruits Braylen Ingrahm (Alabama) and Jaeden Gould (Nebraska) would certainly bump SU up.
You can listen to our whole conversation by following “The Juice on the Cuse Podcast,” a Syracuse Orange podcast, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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