Syracuse football recruiting round-up: Orange hoping to make gains soon

The Syracuse Orange haven’t added a class of 2019 football commit for awhile, and most of the movement comes from players leaving the class, instead of coming in. Still, there’s over a month to go until the early signing period, and the staff is busy looking to cash in on what’s been a fantastic 2018 season with an appearance in the top 15.

Here’s a look at all that’s been going on recently:

3-star Safety Cornelius Nunn, Jr. (FL) Decommits from Miami

Coveted 2019 recruit Cornelius Nunn, Jr., a former Syracuse commit, announced on his Twitter that he has decommitted from Miami. Nunn re-opened his commitment earlier in the fall when he left SU’s class, and committed to the Hurricanes shortly after.

247sports currently pegs Syracuse’s chances of gaining Nunn, Jr. back as part of the 2019 class at 62%.

3-star WR Nazir Burnett (PA) Decommits from Syracuse

Nazir Burnett, who committed to head coach Dino Babers and company in August, announced via his Twitter that he will re-open his commitment.

Burnett is currently enjoying a dominant senior season, totaling 21 receiving touchdowns at time of publication. He was considered a key commit in the current cycle, and now the only WR pledged to Syracuse is 3-star slot receiver Courtney Jackson (PA). Burnett did note that Syracuse is still an option for him, so all hope is not dead just yet.

Michigan Loses Two to Transfer

Two Class of 2017 players have recently announced their intentions to leave the Michigan football program. Former 4-star OL/DL James Hudson (OH) will be transferring, and is scheduled to visit the Carrier Dome this weekend. Hudson was the 13th-rated defensive linemen out of high school, but was moved to the offensive line in Ann Arbor.

Former 4-star LB Drew Singleton (NJ) is also transferring from Michigan, although there has been no word of contact from the coaching staff. Singleton does have ties to Syracuse, as he grew up competing against QB Tommy DeVito, and follows DeVito, Kevin Johnson, and Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward on Twitter. Something to keep an eye on for sure.

RB Jawhar Jordan (AZ) Set to Enroll

After originally pledging to the Orange as a 2018 recruit, Jawhar Jordan is set to enroll in January 2019. Jordan was not academically eligible to enroll this summer, and a trip to JUCO seemed to be the only option. Then, Syracuse.com reporter Stephen Bailey dropped some great news for the program.

With the emergence of Jarveon Howard, Jordan appears to be a strong candidate to redshirt. Jordan’s arrival creates a crowded backfield for Babers, a good problem to have, with Moe Neal, Howard, and Oklahoma transfer Abdul Adams set to shoulder the load in 2019. Akeem Dixon had originally been part of the 2018 class, as you may remember, but he departed the team before the season began.

Visitors for Louisville

Plenty of prospects will be in Syracuse for an ACC matchup against hapless Louisville.

• 2019 WR Malik Brooks (NY): No offer from the Orange yet, and is currently committed to Buffalo.
• 2019 RB Jawhar Jordan (AZ): As mentioned above, Jordan recently was ruled eligible and will enroll in January.
• 2019 LB Lee Kpogba (NC): The one-time West Virginia commit and high-three star recruit would be a great steal for Babers.
• 2019 DE Mikel Jones (FL): Jones is a 4-star DE with major interest from Power 5 teams. Syracuse extended an offer all the way back in October 2016, and Jones was a high school teammate of current Orange players Andre Cisco and Kevin Johnson, Jr.
• 2019 RB Thomas Grayson (OK): Syracuse was the first Division 1 team to offer Grayson, but the 3-star RB elected to commit to Nebraska instead. In August, Grayson announced he would be decommitting from Nebraska, and has recently visited Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
• Michigan Transfer OL James Hudson (OH): As mentioned above, Hudson will be in the Dome this weekend. By all indications, he will have to sit out the 2019 season, and would be eligible in 2020.