Syracuse football recruiting: Who’s on the Orange’s wish list for 2020?

It’s no secret that the Syracuse Orange would like to add a quarterback in the 2020 football recruiting class.

Although Tommy DeVito will have two years of eligibility remaining after the 2019 season, it is never too early to begin planning for the future. After losing out on a number of high-level quarterback prospects, only a few targets remain for Dino Babers and staff. According to 247Sports, of the 13 quarterbacks offered by Syracuse, 10 have already committed to other schools. At the top of the wish list is one of the remaining open offers.

A blue-chip quarterback

As is the case with most programs, quarterback is the most important position in any recruiting class. For the Orange, landing four-star dual threat Malik Hornsby (Missouri City, Tex.) would be the ideal situation. Unfortunately, Hornsby left the Orange out of this top eight, but recently re-opened his recruitment.

Mekhi Hagens (St. Louis, Mo.), a three-star dual threat, received an offer from Syracuse all the way back in 2017 and has seen his recruitment pick up over the past year. Hagens is 6-foot-3 and has incredible play-making ability, throwing for 54 touchdowns last fall.

Highly coveted Canadian quarterback Christian Veilleux, who recently decided to remain a 2021 prospect, is a popular choice amongst the fan base, but waiting may not be an option. Three-star quarterback Brett Nezat (Saraland, Ala.) is emerging as a target in the 2020 class, but is still without an offer.

At least one more high-level offensive lineman

Syracuse has one offensive lineman in the 2020 class in three-star tackle Garth Barclay, but three O-linemen are set to graduate after this season.

Three-star tackle James Pogorelc (Chantilly, Va.) visited campus last month, and is slowly gaining Power Five interest. Pogorelc would likely be a candidate to redshirt, as he is a little undersized at 260 pounds (according to 247Sports). Four-star guard Aaryn Parks (Fort Washington, Md.) — a one-time Penn State pledge — is ultra-athletic, running the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds despite weighing 320 pounds. Parks may be a bit of a reach for Syracuse, but the momentum of a 10-win season could help the Orange.

Defensive Line help

Six defensive linemen are set to graduate after the season, leaving Syracuse in need of depth at the position. Among the graduates are Alton Robinson and Kendall Coleman, the team’s top two pass-rushers and one of the top end duos in the country.

Freshman Drew Tuazama bulked up before camp and has reportedly impressed the coaching staff this summer. 247Sports currently projects two defensive linemen to commit to Syracuse: Three-star DE Latarie Kinsler (Pahokee, Fla.) and three-star DE Akheem Mesidor (Ottawa, Ont.). Kinsler visited in June but also just received a USC offer. Meanwhile, Mesidor has yet to officially visit Syracuse. In the current class, Syracuse has pledges from three defensive linemen and all three-star prospects.

With the dead period over and two commits already added this past weekend, hopefully activity continues to be on the upswing for the Orange’s 2020 class.