Class of 2026 WR Calvin Russell (FL) COMMITTED TO SYRACUSE (7/5/25)

[CbusCuse]

If Angeli is so spectacular why couldn’t he overcome a very very mediocre passer in Reilly Lenard? Your key phrase was “over time” my point remains he hasn’t played enough over time. This really isn’t that difficult. But as a mechanics expert I’m sure you can explain why he couldn’t beat out Lenard who was average at best as a passer. You can have great mechanics and still not live up to expectations (see Devito, Tommy). Give the guy a few games before we decide he can walk on water.

I agree we don't have a huge sample size yet to know what he will be but we do have some good positive indicators.

But regarding Leonard, he had the experience and had proven he was a good QB. There was more to Leonard’s game than passing. He had a really good seasons in 2022 with Duke and 2024 with ND but got injured in 2023 so his stats were not up to par that season. He was a very solid college QB.

His 2024 stats with ND were passing for 2860 yds on 67% completion percentage with 21 TD’s to 8 Int’s. Rushing he was over 900 yds for 4.9/carry with 17 TD’s. Adding his rushing into equation that is 3770 yds and his rushing TD’s into equation that is 38 TD’s to 8 Int’s.

 

[sufan59]

Because Angeli was never supposed to be the answer for Notre Dame. They were never going to look at him that way.

In the portal world where Notre Dame thinks they're a contender they will only start at QB a 5 star they recruited, or a top portal guy. Their program and donors will view anything else as a failure of the roster and coaching staff.

Angeli hit his ceiling at ND.

Also, ND kind of adopts the Big Ten football philosophy. You got to be a generational passer to have a passing first focused offense designed around you. If your not, those programs tend to go all in on establishing an elite running game with an elite running QB that can establish control with time of possession and burn out the opposing defense. We are actually trying to adopt this philosophy, but modernize it in a new way. We value the ability to throw to running back in backfield and establishing a short to medium passing game to control time of possession which could fit Angeli. Very interested to see how ND runs offense, Carr can THROW the football and fit the generational category in passing that ND would be willing to change how they run offense.

 

[sufan59]

Also, ND kind of adopts the Big Ten football philosophy. You got to be a generational passer to have a passing first focused offense designed around you. If your not, those programs tend to go all in on establishing an elite running game with an elite running QB that can establish control with time of possession and burn out the opposing defense. We are actually trying to adopt this philosophy, but modernize it in a new way. We value the ability to throw to running back in backfield and establishing a short to medium passing game to control time of possession which could fit Angeli. Very interested to see how ND runs offense, Carr can THROW the football and fit the generational category in passing that ND would be willing to change how they run offense.

Also, expect our offense to look different this upcoming season. How different? Who knows. Staff learned a valuable lesson during that Pitt game. Even if something has been working. You need to always add new wrinkles to keep opponents on their toes.

 

[Comstock44]

Let’s be honest. Calvin Russell is a football player who wants to be a basketball player, and Syracuse being a “basketball school” played a major factor in his recruitment.

 

[PhatOrange]

You are floored LMAO. He visited Syracuse four times on his own dime go kick rocks you baby.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Let’s be honest. Calvin Russell is a football player who wants to be a basketball player, and Syracuse being a “basketball school” played a major factor in his recruitment.

 

[Jake]

If someone can post that Michigan banner flying over the Syracuse skyline from 1998, that would be great.

 

[RedtheGOB]

Happy we landed him obviously, but FB recruiting is deep waters. Would not be surprised if some reps of CR’s may have told some white lies.

Would not be the first time. Doesn’t make him a bad kid. The pressure is immense and sometimes the easiest route is to tell people what they want to hear just to get the phone to stop ringing,

I always figured the delay in some of these announcement parties was the agents talking on the other end with the schools missing out last minute. Makes sense that a few last phone calls go out just to smooth the waters. It's only us fans that are sitting here wondering why the announcement party is going 45 mins late.

 

[wfschrec]

Because Angeli was never supposed to be the answer for Notre Dame. They were never going to look at him that way.

In the portal world where Notre Dame thinks they're a contender they will only start at QB a 5 star they recruited, or a top portal guy. Their program and donors will view anything else as a failure of the roster and coaching staff.

Angeli hit his ceiling at ND.

This is from an ND insider:

Steve is a good game manager. He doesn’t have the arm talent to push it down the field.
He could not get past our two young QB’s who have more arm talent. He was a good ND player. I
Wish him the best.

He doesn’t have the arm for Heupel offense so won’t be visiting Tennessee.

Yes, he is a good kid.

The fact is if he had the talent he would play, like I said I hope he kills it here but this automatic he is going to be great attitude takes me right back to Devito post UNC and FSU. Let the season play out.

 

[RedtheGOB]

These other top tier schools, their coaches, fanbases and especially big donors are terrified of Fran not because they're worried about losing games to SU or our Program in general.

It's the HOW they're losing players to us right now. Fran (and staff) are going into their backyards taking players based on their personalities and running a clean program ie DART.

These other big programs hate what he represents.

A 5 star player is no longer choosing a school for the MONEY. OR
-facilities
-promises of playing in the NFL
-75 year old coaches with 50 years of coaching experience
-dorms
-cars
-girls running around in bikinis and free drinks at the clubs
-or whatever other perks these kids were getting sold on in the past.

All the things that for the last few decades gave them a leg up over 99% of other programs is no longer the motivating factor for an 18 year old 5 star recruit. Maybe some but not as many now.

They are choosing Fran for Fran and that is something they cannot match or compete with and their fanbases HATE it.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Happy we landed him obviously, but FB recruiting is deep waters. Would not be surprised if some reps of CR’s may have told some white lies.

Would not be the first time. Doesn’t make him a bad kid. The pressure is immense and sometimes the easiest route is to tell people what they want to hear just to get the phone to stop ringing,

From the little bit I heard my impression is the "recruiting analysts" were making their predictions based on guesses and biases. The Russell camp was as quiet as the grave about to which school Calvin was going to commit.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Steve is a good game manager.

The fact is if he had the talent he would play

Just like McCord was a good game manager, and just like how if Meeks had the talent he would have played a ton of snaps at Georgia, it would seem. I just don't see how in this era we trust assumptions like that.

The ND insider you mentioned is kind of making my point - at ND, a game manager is all Angeli would ever be.

It's not just Angeli I'm putting my faith in. It's Nixon too.

 

[tep624]

From the little bit I heard my impression is the "recruiting analysts" were making their predictions based on guesses and biases. The Russell camp was as quiet as the grave about to which school Calvin was going to commit.

I suspected that was the case. Other than Loy’s bellyaching they’ve been not surprisingly quiet today.

 

[orange79]

It's not just Angeli I'm putting my faith in. It's Nixon too.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

View attachment 253429

Seems awkward, but... yeah.

 

[tep624]

This is from an ND insider:

Steve is a good game manager. He doesn’t have the arm talent to push it down the field.
He could not get past our two young QB’s who have more arm talent. He was a good ND player. I
Wish him the best.

He doesn’t have the arm for Heupel offense so won’t be visiting Tennessee.

Yes, he is a good kid.

The fact is if he had the talent he would play, like I said I hope he kills it here but this automatic he is going to be great attitude takes me right back to Devito post UNC and FSU. Let the season play out.

This is why Pena leaving when and how he did frustrated me so much. Either option, we have a young QB that would benefit greatly from a veteran starting WR with a year in the system. Still ticks me off.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Just like McCord was a good game manager, and just like how if Meeks had the talent he would have played a ton of snaps at Georgia, it would seem. I just don't see how in this era we trust assumptions like that.

The ND insider you mentioned is kind of making my point - at ND, a game manager is all Angeli would ever be.

It's not just Angeli I'm putting my faith in. It's Nixon too.

Often coaches choose to go with players because they know what they’ll get, or one time the kid did something incredible, so they could do it again, etc. The biggest arms aren’t what is needed in college football. Reading defenses and processing what’s happening, combined with decisiveness, execution, and delivery are what’s important for today’s CFB.

 

[SUskibum]

Decent Analysis from a guy who has given Fran more credit than most over the past year.

 

[cuse702]

If were talking about QBs, even ND fans acknowledge that Leonard isn't the passer that Angeli is, but ND isn't a pass first offense and they don't have top tier WR talent. (At least not last year but they're getting better) so having Leonard's legs was a big reason why he was a better fit for that team. This offense is predicated more to dropping back and getting the ball into playmaker's hands which we have plenty of. That's really it.

 

[wfschrec]

Just like McCord was a good game manager, and just like how if Meeks had the talent he would have played a ton of snaps at Georgia, it would seem. I just don't see how in this era we trust assumptions like that.

The ND insider you mentioned is kind of making my point - at ND, a game manager is all Angeli would ever be.

It's not just Angeli I'm putting my faith in. It's Nixon too.

Nixon plays a role but if Angeli was sufficient enough you don’t dump NIL on Lenard. Isn’t that the same position folks here are taking as to why they grabbed Angeli after already having Collins? Collins isn’t deemed sufficient. You can’t have it both ways.

As for McCord a fans perspective is one thing … folks close to a program who see these kids frequently is another. This sane insider was pissed ND didn’t make an attempt at McCord and felt he would have been a far better choice than Lenard as did others at ND.

 

[richmondcuse03]

From the little bit I heard my impression is the "recruiting analysts" were making their predictions based on guesses and biases. The Russell camp was as quiet as the grave about to which school Calvin was going to commit.

Correct. His family didn’t say much. But they also didn’t tell schools, including Miami, no. So they were in the dark. He took a lot of visits and enjoyed it all, as he should have.

 

[mark79]

That is interesting. Hadn’t seen that video. Maybe he was blowing smoke as I’m pretty sure we were still in it at that point. Unless he wasn’t listing us because we didn’t have enough NIL on the table at that point for him to count us in. Trying to light a fire for SU NIL?

If you watch the video closely it was cut after he named three. He may very well have named us after that and they cut it. And then asked him who else he had been interested in and cut that answer in.

 

[baggerbob]

Which is smart if they did. You can already see the campaigning trying to devalue what this really was. Rate these players and publicize them based on merit not politics based on the current brand value of who they actually choose. This does matter, it can have direct impact on the players ability to market themselves for NIL. From the outside, CRs team is playing this right.

They all better start getting used to Fran landing great recruits. Dart is going to bring many very good players here, Fran recruits not only the player, but the family.
And players like Watson who left for Texas are going to help sell the program. Because Fran true to Dart put his well being ahead of the program. That is going to be great for future recruiting.

 

[wfschrec]

If were talking about QBs, even ND fans acknowledge that Leonard isn't the passer that Angeli is, but ND isn't a pass first offense and they don't have top tier WR talent. (At least not last year but they're getting better) so having Leonard's legs was a big reason why he was a better fit for that team. This offense is predicated more to dropping back and getting the ball into playmaker's hands which we have plenty of. That's really it.

Beaux Collins was a 4 star that showed flashes at Clemson
Mitchell had 1100 yards at FIU prior to coming over
Love and Faison are excellent receivers out of the backfield
The TEs at ND are always solid
Greathouse is young and a 4 star that is quite good
Williams the frosh was a 4 star 96 on 247

They have more than enough receiving talent. CJ Carr is not a dual threat let’s not sugar coat it he ran for less than 100 yards on 59 carries as a senior in high school.

 

[PhatOrange]

Nixon plays a role but if Angeli was sufficient enough you don’t dump NIL on Lenard. Isn’t that the same position folks here are taking as to why they grabbed Angeli after already having Collins? Collins isn’t deemed sufficient. You can’t have it both ways.

As for McCord a fans perspective is one thing … folks close to a program who see these kids frequently is another. This sane insider was pissed ND didn’t make an attempt at McCord and felt he would have been a far better choice than Lenard as did others at ND.

Riley Leonard was a lot like Dungee that's the direction Notre Dame wanted to go last season.. It doesn't make angelli not as good as Leonard. Different strengths different weaknesses.Joe Burrough was a back up no?