sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Monkey Day!
Monkey Day celebrates not only monkeys, but all simians, which include New World monkeys, Old World Monkeys, and apes. The day exists to bring awareness to the animals, and to show love and care for them. It was created by artists Casey Sorrow and Eric Millikin, when they were art students at Michigan State University in 2000. At first the day was celebrated by students at MSU, but it eventually gained a wider following after its creators' artwork and alternative comics, which featured Monkey Day, were published online and at exhibits. Today it is celebrated all around the world.
SU News
Syracuse in play for Kyle McCord: Transfer portal QB moves on from Nebraska after visit (247sports.com; Bahns)
Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord had strong ties to Nebraska after entering the transfer portal as the nation’s No. 10 signal-caller, but after visiting the Huskers, he moved on from the program as a possible destination. Instead, Syracuse emerged as a potential landing spot for McCord, according to 247Sports’ Tom Loy.
Syracuse initially extended a scholarship offer to McCord during his recruitment as a four-star high school prospect. The Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s product is a regional fit for the Orange, which is in the midst of an overhaul after the firing of longtime head coach Dino Babers and hiring of Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as his replacement.
McCord completed 65.8% of his passes this year, amassing 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing six interceptions. He helped guide Ohio State to 11-straight wins to open the season. A win over Michigan likely would have led to a College Football Playoff berth for McCord and Co. Instead, he's an enticing option in the transfer portal for quarterback-needy schools.
Syracuse could benefit from an upgrade at quarterback after struggling mightily on the offensive side of the ball throughout the 2023 season. The Orange experienced a midseason lull, scoring no more than 14 points in a game during a five-game losing streak that included disappointing defeats at the hands of Virginia Tech and Boston College.
Garrett Shrader spent the majority of the season as Syracuse’s starting quarterback, completing 134-of-214 passes for 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed 113 times for an additional 469 yards and eight scores. The veteran quarterback is a three-year starter for the Orange and brings five years of total experience into his final year of eligibility. He has yet to announce a decision on whether to utilize that sixth year.
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Kyle McCord Would Make Syracuse A Contender Right Away (orangefizz.net; Gotkin)
Fran Brown is inexperienced. He has never been a head coach before and has never been the lone coordinator for a Power Five team. So, asking for a lot of sucess early on is a lot. I said just last week that patience would be key with Brown. But, Kyle McCord changes all of that.
For the past few days, McCord has been seen as a lock to transfer to Nebraska. But, news broke earlier that the Ohio State transfer would be looking elsewhere. The junior grew up in New Jersey, where Fran Brown seems to be getting players left and right. McCord was offered by Syracuse out of high school and word on the block is he is interested in joining Brown at Syracuse.
Kyle McCord would be a program-changing player if he came to SU. Out of high school, the QB was a five-star prospect. After sitting behind the NFL Rookie of the Year favorite CJ Stroud for two seasons, McCord finally got his shot. The Jersey native led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record, and threw for over three thousand yards and 24 touchdowns. McCord had all of the pressure in the world on him and former teammates have said that the criticism of him hasn’t been fair.
With LeQuint Allen and Dan Villari returning, along with the additions that Fran Brown has already brought to SU, an offense led by Kyle McCord would be one of the best in the ACC. With a quarterback of that caliber, you also can’t rule out Oronde Gadsden making the decision to return to Syracuse. The Orange have had talented quarterbacks recently, but none of them are at the level of McCord.
With the schedule being as easy as it looks next season, with McCord at the helm, the expectations for the ‘Cuse would be in the 8-9 win range. The Ohio State QB1 is a player to keep an eye on in the portal and one who can change this program.
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Byrum Brown only had 3 D-I offers out of high school. Now he's the 'foundation' at USF. (DO; Alandt)
As Byrum Brown led Rolesville (N.C.) High School to the state championship game through a record-breaking senior year, Power Five schools weren’t calling. He talked with North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest, but nothing stuck. Rolesville head coach Rainer Rackley said schools weren’t sure Brown could throw downfield, projecting him more as a run-first quarterback.
But South Florida continued to call during the recruiting process. Through a connection with Brown’s high school wide receivers coach, Malik Frazier, USF quality control coach Sawyer Jordan became aware of Brown.
When Brown took an unofficial visit to USF in 2022, he said it felt genuine. They showed him around Tampa, Florida, and had him pass to some graduate assistants. After one 20-yard out route that Brown zipped in, former head coach Jeff Scott offered Brown on the spot.
A few weeks later, Brown took an official visit with his mother. They went to Ocean Prime, a seafood restaurant where Brown indulged in a spread of shellfish, crabs, shrimp, lobster and oysters. He was sold.
“I knew I just needed an opportunity,” Brown said. “My parents said ‘Whatever school gives you the opportunity, just go out there and make every other school in the country wish they offered you.’”
Two years later at 19, he’s already broken USF’s program record for most single-season passing yards, joining Heisman winning quarterback Jayden Daniels as the only other quarterback in the country with over 3,000 passing yards and 700 rushing yards. Now, Brown will be under center for USF when it takes on Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 21.
“The world and the nation may be surprised, but we’re not surprised,” said Rolesville head coach Rainer Rackley. “Now the nation’s seeing the fruits of his labor, and it’s exciting to sit back and watch.”
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4-star WR Emanuel Ross flips commitment to Syracuse following visit (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football landed the highest-rated commit of its 2024 class Wednesday.
Emanuel Ross, a 4-star wide receiver who’s ranked No. 316 nationally by the 247Sports Composite, announced via social media that he has flipped his commitment from Stanford to Syracuse.
He jumped Georgia tight end Jamie Tremble, who’s ranked No. 412 by the same metric. Tremble is the only other 4-star currently committed to SU’s class.
Ross made an official visit to the Salt City this past weekend and is the fourth player to flip his commitment following the trip.
Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, Ross (6-foot-2, 190 pound) is the No. 5 player in the Garden State and No. 50 wide receiver in the country. He plays for Red Bank Catholic.
Ross had 29 catches for 615 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, according to stats listed on his 247Sports profile.
Stanford, the school Ross flipped his commitment from, joins the ACC next season as one of three new members due to conference realignment. Syracuse will host Stanford in 2024.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/syracuse-footballs-coaching-staff-to-date (SI; McAllister)
Fran Brown's first staff at Syracuse is not complete, nor have many additions to it been officially announced. In fact, to date only he and defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson have been formally announced by the program. That said, there has been reporting as well as social media information that has led us to know several others on staff. Here is how things currently look based on those reports.
Note: The parenthesis after the name indicates the position the coach is leaving to come to Syracuse.
Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs: Jeff Nixon (New York Giants running backs coach)
Quarterbacks: Nunzio Campanile (Syracuse tight ends coach)
Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator: Ross Douglas (New England Patriots wide receivers coach)
Assistant Wide Receivers: Devin Redd (Delaware State wide receivers coach)
Tight Ends: Unknown
Offensive Line: Dale Williams
Defensive Coordinator: Elijah Robinson (Texas A&M co-defensive coordinator, defensive line, assistant head coach, interim head coach)
Defensive Ends: Nick Williams (Colorado defensive ends coach)
Defensive Tackles: Unknown
Linebackers: Robert Wright (Buffalo defensive coordinator)
Defensive Backs: Unknown
Special Teams Coordinator: Bob Ligashesky (same)
Another note: Elijah Robinson has extensive experience coaching the defensive line. It is entirely possible he coaches the defensive tackles in addition to being defensive coordinator. However, in the official announcement of his hiring that was not stated.
Will Norman, Camden Eastside
Florida DE Will Norman, a former 4-star recruit from New Jersey, will visit Syracuse this weekend (PS; $; Carlson)
Florida defensive end Will Norman, a former 4-star recruit who grew up in New Jersey, will visit the Syracuse football program this weekend.
Norman posted the news of his upcoming visit on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
Norman played four games this year as a true freshman with the Gators. He made one tackle.
Norman is from Camden, the same hometown as Syracuse football coach Fran Brown, and plays a position where the Orange need to replace both of its starters from this past season This year’s starters were Caleb Okechukwu, who is out of college eligibility, and Terry Lockett, who put his name into the transfer portal on Tuesday.
Brown has taken advantage of his New Jersey connections early in his tenure at Syracuse, with his first four verbal commitments coming from New Jersey players. That includes Emanuel Ross, a four-star wide receiver who flipped his commitment from Stanford to Syracuse on Wednesday.
Coming out of high school, Norman had offers from an array of blueblood programs including Michigan, LSU, Florida State and Auburn.
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Another Georgia WR will visit Syracuse this weekend. Mekhi Mews returns kicks, too (PS; Carlson)
Georgia wide receiver and kick returner Mekhi Mews will visit Syracuse this weekend, he said on social media.
Mews said he will be visiting Syracuse on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. He committed to Georgia as a preferred walk-on in 2021 and went on to become a productive player for one of the top teams in college football.
Mews was a redshirt sophomore at Georgia this season. He did the majority of his damage as a returner. He returned 20 punts for an average of 10.3 yards per return, including a 69-yard return and a touchdown. He returned 13 kickoffs for an average of 26.8 yards per return.
As a wide receiver he caught 13 passes for 155 yards and one score, including a touchdown. He is listed at 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds.
Mews becomes the third wide receiver from Georgia connected to Syracuse this offseason. New Syracuse coach Fran Brown was in charge of defensive backs at Georgia before coming to SU.
Wide receiver Jackson Meeks committed to Syracuse on Tuesday, while Yazeed Haynes is also reportedly visiting this weekend.
Among the other schools that Mews said have offered him on social media are Georgia Tech, East Carolina, Texas-El Paso and Jacksonville State.
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(soundcloud.com; radio; Orange Nation)
AllSyracuse.com's Mike McAllister joins Steve and Paulie with the latest Syracuse football recruiting news including breaking news regarding the latest player to flip his commitment to the Orange.
30 Minutes In Orange Nation 12-13-23 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Steve and Paulie open today’s show giving an update on which Syracuse football players have put their names in the transfer portal and whether or not any of them are cause for concern. Then, the guys talk Syracuse men’s basketball working off some comments from Coach Allen Griffin on this morning’s Devo & Kris Jo Show. Later, Jordan joins the guys with some NBA and MLB talking points for Today’s Business.
Syracuse Football Recruiting - DT w/ Tristen Graham, 2024 Commit (youtube; podcast; DT)
Dan Tortora welcomes Tristen Graham, Syracuse Orange 2024 Football Commit out of Middletown High School in Middletown, Delaware... The edge rusher who could play outside linebacker for the Orange speaks on his father Timothy being why he got connected to football, the dream he had of his late father, committing to the school not just the coach, a zoom call with new Syracuse Head Coach Fran Brown, what he believes Syracuse will become, & More, including playing "Rapid Fire" w/ DT!
Another ‘splash’ for Syracuse football as signing day looms, national expert predicts (itlh; Adler)
We’re only about 10 days into the start of the Fran Brown era as the head coach of Syracuse football. Already, he and his staff have landed verbal commitments from several 2024 prospects as well as at least one commitment via the transfer portal.
More fun news could be on the horizon for the Orange as the early signing period for 2024 high school players is set to arrive on Wednesday, Dec. 20, a top national recruiting analyst predicts.
This past weekend, Brown and his assistants hosted a flood of highly rated prospects in the senior class on official visits. That, so far, has produced at least three verbal commitments, from three-star defensive end/tight end Jahide Lesaine Jr., four-star running back Yasin Willis and three-star wide receiver Jaylan Hornsby.
Adam Friedman, a national analyst with , writes in a piece that “things are trending” in the direction of the ‘Cuse for two other Orange 2024 recruiting targets who were on official visits to the Hill last weekend.
Syracuse football could be in line to land more commitments in the senior cycle soon.
The two 2024 prospects who Friedman was referring to are four-star wide receiver Emanuel Ross and four-star edge KingJoseph Edwards.The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Edwards, offered a scholarship by the Orange on December 4, is out of Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Ga.
He has the ‘Cuse in his final three and plans to announce his college decision on December 19. As I’ve noted in a couple of recent columns, there are numerous analyst predictions for Syracuse football in Edwards’ recruitment between the 247Sports Web site, and the On3 Web site.
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Jaden Hart of Michigan City signed his national letter of intent Wednesday to play football for Syracuse. Hart is shown with parents Courtney and RiEisha and siblings Kyra and Kyron.
https://www.lpheralddispatch.com/sp...-a8c3-e632c1915718.html(lpheralddispatch.com; Peters)
When a college coach leaves or is fired by a school, it can cause upheaval in the recruiting process for high school athletes.
For Jaden Hart, the decision to attend Syracuse was more about the school than it was about the coach, so when Dino Babers was let go by the Orange, the Michigan City senior had no inclination to change his mind.
"Coach Babers is a great guy," Hart said. "I talked to him a day before he got fired. He asked me about my season. He said I could come practice with the team before the bowl game. I was looking forward to it. The athletic director called, it sounded like they wanted to go a different route. Pretty much the whole staff is gone. He said I still have my offer. I fell in love with the school, not just the coaches."
Fran Brown, who spent the last two years with Georgia as defensive backs coach, was hired Dec. 4 to succeed Babers, and before Hart had any notion to reconsider his plans, the new coach quickly reaffirmed the Syracuse's commitment to the Wolves running back.
"I talked to coach Brown, he re-evaluated my film, and loved the type of player I was," Hart said. "They're giving me the opportunity to come play and I have a good shot at playing. He pretty much told me I was his recruit now. Our class is his guys. Some guys didn't make the cut. We've got more recruits coming in. When I knew coach Brown was coming in, coming from a winning program like Georgia, I knew it was still a perfect fit. I love his mentality. He loves to win. I want to adopt that winning mentality."
Brown is also expected to add New York Giants running back coach Jeff Nixon to be offensive coordinator.
"He coaches Saquon (Barkley)," Hart said. "It's going to be great to be developed by someone who knows where I want to go."
Hart celebrated his signing Wednesday at the high school's Heritage Hall, and the paperwork will become official Dec. 20. He's completed his academic requirements at Michigan City and will begin a full schedule of classes at Syracuse after its winter break, returning home for prom and graduation in the spring.
"It feels great," Hart said. "Just take as much time to be with my family before I start my next journey. I'm excited to be at this point in my life."
City A.D. Craig Shaman called signings like Hart's his proudest moments.
"I don't care about wins and losses. I care about real life victories like this, not only getting the opportunity to play a sport in college at any level, but also to have your college education funded," he said. "It really moves you forward, levels you up in life, and that is what this stuff is about."
Shaman praised Hart for embracing the whole process of being a student-athlete, whether it was the offseason, weights, practice or games, win or lose.
"It's about what it does for you in life, all the character building," he said to Hart. "Your attitude was above level positive the whole time through. You were always having so much fun. You knew it was going to come to an end at some point. You knew it wasn't about all that anyway. It was about becoming a man. We appreciate everything you've done for us."
Wolves coach Cody French emphasized that Hart separated himself not on talent alone.
"After getting to know him, the football part's easy. He's a great football player," French said. "You don't get this opportunity if you're not. The work, the leadership and the commitment to the day to day are what got him this opportunity and what will make him successful. You're special in that regard."
Freshman brother Kyron laughed about missing Jaden coming his room and messing with him every morning.
"It starts my day," he said. "Just watching him play, it just made me love football more. (Losing) doesn't mean loss, it means lesson. It was exciting watching him grow up. He pushed me a lot, always working out my hardest, just keep me going."
Jaden's list of thank yous included Michigan City High School, his parents Courtney and RiEisha, Kyron, sister Kyah, his grandparents, former Wolves coach Phil Mason, French, his current and former teammates, and athletic performance trainer Eric Griffin.
"We went to semistate (in 2021)," he said. "I couldn't have done it without (Mason) either. It was a good year being with (French), helping us change in the culture, giving me one more fun year before college. (Griffin got) me right, (got) me to the place I am, helping my body stay healthy. That's my village for sure. Nobody can make it this far by themselves."
Hart hopes he can serve as an example to younger players.
"I want to succeed in all aspects," he said. "You see I can do it, anybody from this city can do it if they work hard, play hard. Just don't get discouraged, be confident in yourself. When times get boring or you feel like shouldn't be inside the house, just make the right decision so you don't go down the right path when you have the potential to be great."
With plans to major in Kinesiology, Hart wants to be an athletic trainer whenever football is done.
"It will be longer than four, five years," he said. "I'll make sure of that."
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...o-visit-syracuse-football-as-transfer-targets (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football’s visitor list for this weekend continues to grow, and it now includes two more former four star recruits visiting as transfer targets. Georgia wide receiver transfer Yazeed Haynes and Texas A&M defensive line transfer Fadil Diggs will get a closer look at the Orange this weekend. Haynes was recruited to Georgia by new Syracuse head coach Fran Brown, while Diggs was recruited by and played for new Syracuse defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson at Texas A&M. Diggs also scheduled to visit Alabama. He has one year of eligibility remaining while Haynes has four.
As a high school recruit, Diggs was a consensus four star, top 200 recruit out of Eastside High in New Jersey. He signed with Texas A&M over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Boston College, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others.
Haynes was considered one of the top receivers 2023 recruiting class. He was a consensus four star recruit rated as a top 300 prospect by ESPN, On3 and Rivals out of North Penn High School in Pennsylvania. He signed with Georgia over offers from Boston College, Maryland, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers and West Virginia, among others.
The two high profile transfers join fellow former four star Will Norman, a Florida defensive lineman transfer, as official visitors this weekend. Tristen Graham, Jakhari Williams, Braheem Long and Jaden Hart are among the commits also expected to visit.
Syracuse sends out offers to over a dozen top underclassmen prospects in the MD/DC area (247sports.com; O'Brien)
Over the past couple of days, Syracuse football has sent out over a dozen football offers to prospects in both Maryland and the District of Columbia. The sudden presence of Syracuse in this area coincides with the recent hire of their head coach Fran Brown. Devin Redd, who recently was the wide receivers coach at Delaware State, is now at Syracuse as an assistant wide receivers coach. He previously had coaching stops on the high school level (St. Frances and Calvert Hall in Maryland) and on the college level (Delaware State, Seton Hall, and Toledo). Redd's hire is noteworthy because he has very strong ties in the Maryland/DC area and that's a great thing for Syracuse going forward.
Anthony Chuman | Defensive Lineman | 6-2 | 305 | DeMatha | 2025 | Maryland
Chuman has offers from Syracuse, Temple. and South Florida.
Braeden Palazzo | Quarterback | 6-3 | 190 | McDonogh | 2026 | Maryland
Palazzo has offers from Syracuse and Charlotte.
Brandon Finney | Wide Receiver | 6-1 | 180 | McDonogh | 2025 | Maryland
Finney has offers from Charlotte, Marshall, Penn State, Syracuse, UNLV, and Virginia Tech.
Bud Coombs | Running Back | 5-9 | 175 | DeMatha | 2025 | Maryland
Coombs is rated as a 3-star prospect by both 247Sports and the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. Syracuse, Boston College, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State, Temple, and Virginia Tech are among his 12-plus listed offers.
Byron Baldwin | Safety | 6-0 | 175 | Calvert Hall | 2025 | Maryland
Baldwin has five-plus offers that include Syracuse, Kent State, James Madison, Charlotte, and Boston College.
Elijah Crawford | Defensive Lineman | 6-4 | 265 | McDonogh | 2025 | Maryland
Crawford has offers from Syracuse, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh.
Emmanuel Dyson | Wide Receiver | 6-2 | 195 | DeMatha | 2025 | Maryland
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How Should Syracuse Fans Feel About Tommy DeVito's NFL Success? (orangefizz.net; Griffin)
Nobody in Central New York could possibly have seen this coming two years ago. Before Syracuse’s week 4 clash with Liberty in the 2021 season, Tommy DeVito, who had been SU’s starting QB throughout 2019, the start of 2020 (injury), and the first three games of 2021, was benched in favor of Garrett Shrader. He never saw the field in an Orange uniform again as he entered the transfer portal following week 6. A little over two years later, he is the starting QB for the New York Giants as they make a late push for the NFL Playoffs. Who on Earth saw that coming?
When DeVito left Syracuse, he wound up in Big Ten country at Illinois. He was solid for the Illini, but nothing spectacular. DeVito threw for just over 200 yards a game along with 15 touchdowns, but only four interceptions over 13 games. During his final hurrah in Central New York, he threw two picks in just three contests. DeVito went undrafted last April, but the Giants thought they had a diamond in the rough, and so far he’s proving them right. On Monday night against the Packers, DeVito became the second undrafted rookie since 1967 to complete more than 80% of his passes in a game, leading to an NFC Player Of The Week honor. Where the heck was this during his time in Syracuse?
DeVito’s talent was never an issue as he was a consensus 4-star recruit coming in. The issue was the talent around him. With the exception of maybe Taj Harris, he never had a true offensive weapon. Sean Tucker’s breakout season unfolded as DeVito left the program, and pass-catching weapon Oronde Gadsden II didn’t breakout until after he left. Additionally, he had to deal with one of the worst offensive lines among Power Five schools throughout his time as the starter. It felt like more often than not, DeVito was running for his life while he was under center. A major factor in DeVito’s struggles in Central New York is the well-documented recruiting failure from year to year.
Finally, there has been chatter about an old friend’s role in this fiasco.
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Syracuse LB Mekhi Mason is 13th player to enter name in transfer portal since Fran Brown was hired (PS; $; Carlson)
Syracuse linebacker Mekhi Mason said on Wednesday that he plans to enter his name into the transfer portal.
A three-star recruit in the Class of 2022, Mason played sparingly in his two seasons with the Orange. He arrived at Syracuse ranked as the No. 1,162 player in the Class of 2022 by the 247 Sports Composite Rankings. He was ranked as the No. 117 linebacker and the No. 151 recruit in Florida.
Mason played in just one game this season for the Orange and seven in 2022. He did not record any tackles during his time on the field.
Mason announced his interest in exploring his transfer options on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, Mason is the 13th Syracuse player who has entered their name into the transfer portal since Fran Brown took over as SU’s head coach.
Most of those players have not been major contributors on the field with the biggest departures including defensive end Leon Lowry, wide receiver Isaiah Jones, defensive back Jeremiah Wilson and defensive end Terry Lockett.
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Former Syracuse DB Jeremiah Wilson commits to Houston (PS; $; Carlson)
Former Syracuse defensive back Jeremiah Wilson has committed to play football at the University of Houston next season, he said on social media.
Wilson showed signs of promise during his first two years at Syracuse. He was one of three true freshmen to play every game for the Orange in 2022, and he began last season as a starter before falling down the depth chart.
He announced his decision to attend Houston on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
He is one of three Syracuse transfers to announce a destination so far this offseason, joining Leon Lowry (Wisconsin) and Malcolm Folk (Kent State). Syracuse has had 13 players enter their names into the transfer portal, most of whom received minimum playing time last year.
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Interim Aggy Coach ERob makes Syracuse in home visit with current Aggy commit (secrant.com)
Interim Aggy Coach ERob makes Syracuse in home visit with current Aggy commit
yikes
re: Interim Aggy Coach ERob makes Syracuse in home visit with current Aggy commitPosted on 12/13/23 at 1:15 pm to geauxnavybeatbama
bad bull
re: Interim Aggy Coach ERob makes Syracuse in home visit with current Aggy commitPosted on 12/13/23 at 1:16 pm to geauxnavybeatbama
I wonder why Aggie is tolerating this there must be SOME Reason
Hmm
re: Interim Aggy Coach ERob makes Syracuse in home visit with current Aggy commitPosted on 12/13/23 at 1:28 pm to Radio One
i just don't see how A&M is okay with paying him to recruit a current commit to another school
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ACC News
https://www.si.com/college/georgiat...-in-the-acc-ahead-of-the-early-signing-period (SI; Caudell)
The Early Signing Period is one week away and teams are either trying to put the finishing touches on their 2024 classes or just keep the guys that they have in the class.
Georgia Tech and Brent Key have had momentum on their side this week and have added three prospects to the 2024 class. On Sunday, Georgia Tech began to add to its class with linebacker Caleb Dozier, who was a former Mississippi State commit. Then on Monday morning, defensive end Uche Iloh committed to Georgia Tech, and just last night, in-state offensive lineman Kai Greer committed to Georgia Tech. These commitments moved Georgia Tech to 7th in the ACC in the 247Sports recruiting rankings and could move up.
So what are the top storylines to watch in the ACC for the early signing period next week?
1. The battle for the top class in the ACC
When you look at the recruiting rankings on 247Sports, you will notice that two teams stand above the rest. Florida State has the top class in the ACC and the third-best in the country while Miami has the No. 2 class in the ACC and the No. 6 class in the country. Both programs are pretty far ahead of Clemson and one of them should finish with the top class in the ACC.But who will it be?
Both programs are trying to flip the No. 1 player in the country, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, away from Ohio State. They are also both trying to flip five-star defensive tackle LJ McCray from Florida. Five-star defensive lineman Armondo Blount is currently committed to Florida State, but Miami is trying to flip him back over into their class.
Needless to say, these two rivals are battling for a lot of top prospects going into next Wednesday and I think they will be the two most intriguing programs in the conference to watch.
2. How will Fran Brown close with Syracuse?
Fran Brown was only recently hired at Syracuse, but he has already made an impact on the recruiting trail. Brown was known as an ace recruiter while at Georgia and he has done good work since being hired.Just this week, Brown has gotten commitments from three-star athlete Emanuel Ross, three-star receiver Jaylan Hornsby, and three-star running back Yasin Willis. Syracuse currently sits at 12th in the ACC in the recruiting rankings, but they are within striking distance of moving into the top ten and possibly the top seven.
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https://www.si.com/college/georgiat...ings-one-week-before-the-early-signing-period (SI; Caudell)
Next week is going to be a huge one for Brent Key and Georgia Tech.
Not only are the Yellow Jackets going to be playing in their first bowl game since 2018, but the early signing period is next Wednesday, two days before Georgia Tech faces UCF. Georgia Tech is looking to finish off what is a top 35 class right now on 247Sports and they have been adding to it this week.
On Sunday, Georgia Tech began to add to its class with linebacker Caleb Dozier, who was a former Mississippi State commit. Then on Monday morning, defensive end Uche Iloh committed to Georgia Tech, and just last night, in-state offensive lineman Kai Greer committed to Georgia Tech. These commitments moved Georgia Tech to 7th in the ACC in the 247Sports recruiting rankings and could move up.
Not much else has changed in the past week for the ACC in the world of recruiting. At least not yet.
Florida State and Miami remain a good distance ahead of everyone else in the conference right now and they are both still chasing elite five and four-star players. Both of those programs have top six classes nationally and could finish as high as second.
Clemson remains at third and as I said last week, I expect them to stay there. They are not close enough to Miami or Florida State to be able to go ahead of them, but they are far enough ahead of everyone else in the conference.
The same could be said about North Carolina, which is No. 4 in the ACC right now. They will likely stay there, but Stanford and NC State are close enough at No. 5 and No. 6 that they could close strong and pass them.
Georgia Tech is No. 7 right now, but Duke and Pitt are not that far behind. No's 10-17 have not changed. Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Louisville, Cal, Virginia, SMU, Boston College.
One program out of those eight schools to watch is Syracuse. Fran Brown has gotten some nice recruiting wins since being hired and he could get them in the top eight in the next week.
My biggest storylines to watch next Wednesday will be the battle between Miami and Florida State for the top ACC class and to see what Georgia Tech and Syracuse can close down the stretch.
ACC Recruiting Rankings (As of 12/7, via 247Sports):
1. Florida State2. Miami
3. Clemson
4. North Carolina
5. Stanford
6. NC State
7. Georgia Tech
8. Duke
9. Pitt
10. Wake Forest
11. Virginia Tech
12. Syracuse
13. Louisville
14. Cal
15. Virginia
16. SMU
17. Boston College
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https://athlonsports.com/college-fo...olina-star-qb-commits-to-north-carolina-state (athlonsports.com; Davis)
Former Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall announced on Wednesday that he is transferring to North Carolina State.
McCall, a former three-star recruit, is the all-time passing touchdowns leader at Coastal Carolina. McCall threw for over 10,000 yards, 88 touchdowns, and just 14 interceptions over three years.
He played just seven games this year because of injury.
According to On3, McCall, a three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year, is from North Carolina and likes his fit in the Wolfpack offense.
Why Florida State football should snub SEC, Big Ten, stay with ACC | Toppmeyer (tallahassee.com; Toppmeyer)
- FSU football's path to a 12-team playoff from the ACC boils down to being better than Clemson.
- Would Nick Saban retire if Alabama wins the national championship? Don't bet on it.
- Heisman Trophy voters got it right by awarding LSU's Jayden Daniels
If you believe what you read on the internet – I’m not advising that – FSU’s playoff snub could be the straw that breaks Renegade’s back and spurs the Seminoles to figure out an escape from their sticky ACC media rights deal before joining the Big Ten or SEC.
I’m puzzled as to why this snub should incentivize FSU to do that.
Oh, sure, if the Seminoles were a 13-0 SEC team, they’d never have been left out of this playoff. That would be relevant if the four-team playoff was continuing beyond this season.
It’s not. The playoff will be replaced next season with a 12-team format that guarantees automatic bids for the five-best conference champions.
That expanded format not only would include the Seminoles as the ACC’s representative, but FSU would get a first-round bye.
How would FSU receive a bye? Byes in the 12-team playoff will be earmarked for conference champions. Next season, Washington and Michigan both will be Big Ten members, so only one could receive a bye. Additionally, Texas and Alabama will be SEC peers in 2024, meaning only one bye among those two.
That creates a bye for FSU, plus one other team.
Problem solved. No realignment necessary.
Of course, SEC and Big Ten commissioners might wish to further reduce the number of automatic bids for conference champions or alter the rules about first-round buys.
Here’s an idea: The other conference commissioners shouldn’t give in.
Eighteen months ago, SEC boss Greg Sankey threatened to stage his own playoff if he didn’t get his way, but I don’t think the SEC wants to do that. The SEC loves pronouncing its superiority. The chest-thumping would lose some oomph if the conference restricts itself to an SEC-only playoff.
FSU joining the Big Ten or SEC as a response to this snub in the final year of the four-team playoff would be akin to selling your car because a hooligan keyed it, and then parking your new car in a dangerous neighborhood.
The SEC or Big Ten does not provide an easier path to the playoff.
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The Post-Standard once called the E. W. Edwards department store the Syracuse area's "true geographical center of Christmas." The Edwards famous monorail or Rocket Express is seen in color in this photo from the Onondaga Historical Association. Courtesy of the Onondaga Historical AssociationCourtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association
How the E. W. Edwards store (and its legendary monorail) became Syracuse’s ‘center of Christmas’ (PS; Croyle)
The holidays at downtown Syracuse’s E. W. Edwards & Son department store in the years following World War II were magical.
It really was Central New York’s Christmas headquarters.
The store at the corner of South Salina and Washington Streets liked to bill itself as Syracuse’s “largest and most complete department store.” But that claim didn’t matter to the thousands of children who made annual pilgrimages to the store’s “Toyland” department at its Annex building on Clinton Street.
For them, this was, as The Post-Standard called Edwards in 1982, long after the store had closed, the area’s “true geographical center of Christmas.”
It was where a child could see Santa, get a present, work on their Christmas list, browse the latest toys, and, of course, take a ride on the store’s legendary monorail.
- The Post-Standard once called the E. W. Edwards department store the Syracuse area's "true geographical center of Christmas." For a dime, children could be "off to the moon" at the rocket ship monorail which along the ceiling of the Edwards' Toyland department at their Clinton Street Annex. It was a Syracuse holiday favorite for area children from 1953 through the late 1960s. Courtesy of World ArchivesCourtesy of World Archives
In the holiday song “Silver Bells,” the lyrics sing of “City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style.”
That was downtown Syracuse at the holidays in the 1950s, before shopping habits were changed by gigantic suburban malls and Amazon.
“An afternoon light snowfall drifted down upon thousands of Syracuse shoppers to lend a festive holiday air to the biggest day of the Christmas rush,” the Herald American wrote on Nov. 29, 1953. “North and South Salina Streets, decked out with huge candy canes extending from the telephone poles, was bustling with activity from early morning to late afternoon.”
For the parents in those crowds, especially if they had their little ones with them, a stop at E. W. Edwards was a must.
Children came into Edwards in a constant stream, drawn into the department store by an outdoor sound system that pumped holiday music from its speakers.
Sidewalks would be filled with kids looking in at the decorative windows. While these displays often showcased toys that could be purchased inside, they were also used to tell stories.
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Camillus’ Green Gate Inn: A burger-and-beer tavern with pierogies (Dining Out Review) (PS; $; Paventi)
As I sit here writing this review of Camillus’ Green Gate Inn, I’m working through the leftovers of my pork schnitzel and wondering how it took me more than 15 years of living in the western suburbs of Syracuse to find my way through the front door.
Schnitzel, for the uninitiated, is a Central European dish consisting of a thinly-pound piece of meat that is breaded and fried. We could hear the kitchen pound away on the piece of pork from our seat in the dining room, drowning out the eclectic blend of 1980s pop music playing on the overhead speakers. It was lightly fried and served over an exceptional bed of spaetzle, or egg noodles sauteed in butter.
The pork ($24) was tender, absorbing the flavors of the seasoned breading, which added a bit of crunch. The housemade spaetzle was an absolute treat, carrying a strong buttery flavor without being soggy or overcooked. A side of cold beet salad was the capper to the dish.
We were expecting a burger-and-beer type of tavern, but we found a menu of Central and Eastern European specials that captured our attention. In that way, the Green Gate Inn is an odd little restaurant that should have been far busier for a rainy Saturday evening. The bar was vacant and a dining room with seating for 30 was only half-full. Sure, we could have ordered a burger or New York strip steak, but the surprise of a menu focused on Ukrainian cuisine was simply too good to pass up.
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