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And Dontez Ford makes it 16 in the Class of 2012.
The 6-foot-2, 190 pound safety from Sto-Rox High School in the Pittsburgh suburb of McKees Rocks, PA has made a verbal commitment to play for the Orange next season.
"I feel like Syracuse is a school where I’m going to be able to balance the highest level of education with the highest level of football that I’m able to play," said Ford...
"They (SU) were my very first offer, and I was really excited about that," said Ford, who was recruited by SU linebackers coach Dan Conley.
Who can no to Dan Conley? NO ONE.
Ford doesn't have a star rating from Scout or Rivals (he doesn't even seem to have a profile there) but he did have multiple offers, including ones from Temple, Vanderbilt and...AKRON! Ford said he also was talking to Ivy League schools Harvard, Columbia and Princeton. Smartypants!
Ford was named a second-team all-league selection in the Big Seven Football Conference this past season.
A bonus for recruiting Ford is that it might give the Orange some access to his teammate, four-star linebacker Deaysean Rippy. Rippy has offers from the big boys (Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, USC) but he did visit Doug Marrone’s football camp last summer with Ford.