Syracuse safety Andre Cisco declares for 2021 NFL Draft

After we learned that Syracuse Orange safety Andre Cisco would miss the rest of the 2021 season with an ACL injury, it seemed like a mere formality that he would declare for the NFL Draft. That formality arrived today, as the All-American announced he’ll be going pro.

Cisco was a preseason All-American this year, and received postseason All-American honors following his breakout freshman campaign in 2018. Last year, despite missing three games, he still collected All-ACC and All-ECAC honors.

Though he played in just 24 career games, Cisco will finish tied for fourth in career interceptions at Syracuse with 13, and he remains the active interceptions leader in college football through the end of this season. Cisco suited up in just two contests this season before his year was cut short by a freak ACL injury in warm-ups prior to the Georgia Tech game.

Even with the small sample size, it’s safe to say that Cisco is one of the best ballhawks the school’s ever seen, and also one of the best defensive backs to suit up for the Orange as well. There’s a lot of “what if” around his college career now. But even with that, he’s clearly already accomplished a ton and it’s not worth risking another injury when he could be a first or second round pick this coming spring.

Good luck to Andre in his recovery and preparation for the 2021 NFL Draft. And looking forward to seeing him on the field on Sundays next year. Assuming all goes well in his recovery, he’s slated to be the highest-picked Syracuse player since Justin Pugh (first round) in 2013.