2024 defensive lineman Jaylin Hicks is one of the most coveted New York prospects in his cycle.
The Iona (NY) Prep recruit picked up his first offer from Syracuse in January, 2022, and has only seen his stock rise since then.
After the Orange extended his first offer, Temple, Wake Forest, Minnesota, Boston College and Wagner also jumped on. Notre Dame and Penn State are among other high-majors showing interest.
Blessed to receive an ⭕️ffer from Syracuse @CoachNJ_Monroe @Joespags12 @ionafootball @CoachMoffitt @ShawnB_247 @RivalsFriedman @Rivals pic.twitter.com/WsV9mtK7Y0
— Jaylin Hicks; Aka:J2 (@hicks_jaylin) January 27, 2022
“Cuse is definitely a favorite right now and Wake Forest,” Hicks said in an interview with The Juice Online. “But as I get to visit more schools and learn their atmosphere they’ll probably be favorited as well.”
But the Orange was among the first to begin recruiting Hicks, and that has played a factor in his recruitment.
“It felt amazing to get the Cuse offer due to the fact it was my first one,” Hicks said. “The school is great and I know the culture over there is great as well.”
Hicks is familiar with the Orange in part due to his teammate, 2023 linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard, who signed his NLI with Syracuse in December.
The two helped Iona Prep to a 9-3 overall record and a 6-1 record in Catholic AAA play.
» Related: 2024 OL William Nolan lists Syracuse as one of three favorites
Hicks attributes his success to his versatility.
“I could go for straight up brute explosive power and demoralize your hope of blocking me,” Hicks said. “I could mix it up and use my hands and moves in my repertoire to get around you. I could straight up just use my speed to just blow past you as well.”
Those qualities are the reasons why Syracuse, and many other schools, continue to recruit him.
“I play with a chip on my shoulder,” Hicks said. “No matter how far I get in my career I’m always going to play with high intensity, aggressiveness, and a relentless tenacity to get to the ball.”
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