Syracuse
No. 11 Payton Anderson, A/M, Brunswick (Conn.) | Prime Time
’Cuse invested in an outstanding 15-man ’22 class class and a talented ’23 group, shoring up the attack and defense for the future. As a result, there was a lot of curiosity about how the Orange would do with the 2024s, especially since recruiting often comes down to the numbers game.
Heading into 9/1, Syracuse’s most realistic shot at a five-star was Payton Anderson, and its biggest priority was said to be the midfield. On Sept. 12, the Orange landed the 6-2, 205-pound lefty from Hopewell Junction, N.Y., providing the program with another incredibly skilled offensive weapon — and an imposing one at that.
Anderson, who plays midfield for the Bruins and attack for Prime Time, might have the highest upside of anybody in the class. During the spring, it felt as though he was getting closer and closer to his potential, then in late May, Anderson dazzled at the Prep Nationals in front of a ton of recruiters. He suffered a shoulder injury soon after and miss the start of the summer circuit but, once he returned for his final three tournaments, there wasn’t anyone who could stop him from getting to his left hand and scoring at will — except for himself.
With Anderson’s blend of size and athleticism, skillset and ability to excel at attack or midfield, it’s easy to be bullish about his ceiling. He’ll have two years to work on his off-hand and day-to-day consistency before he gets to the Dome, where I could see the excitable midfield presence quickly becoming a fan favorite.
