Syracuse Orange football head coach Scott Shafer landed his third commitment of the Class of 2014 Sunday, and it could be the program's biggest get in years.
Zaire Franklin, a 6-foot-1, 220 pound, 3-star linebacker from La Salle College High School near Philadelphia, made his verbal commitment to the Orange official after a three-day visit to the campus.
"I felt like they kind of needed me there," Franklin said. "I was, if not the top guy, right at the top up there. They showed they really wanted me there. I was a priority. They have a plan for me.
According to a few recruiting gurus, Franklin is a big get for the 'Cuse, especially this early in the recruiting process as his commitment could lead to a few more players at least considering SU. Also, there's a chance that the soon-to-be high school senior could move up in rankings if he has a solid final season at La Salle.
A strong season could see new #Syracuse verbal Zaire Franklin move from a 3 star to a 4. He is ranked 20th overall 17th overall is a 4 star.
— Ryan Murray (@SUonRivals) June 2, 2013
Now, remember a few things: 1) Franklin can't make his commitment official until February when he signs his letter of intent; and 2) these are recruiting rankings, which most of the time mean nothing. All we know is, Syracuse beat out schools like Temple, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Tulane for his services. (So, if you want to make a snap judgement about Franklin from that list, well, go ahead.)
Regardless, Syracuse nabbed a prospect with a lot of upside. Add him to the list that features 3-star quarterback A.J. Long and 3-star running back Naesean Howard, who are already is a part of the Class of 2014 and HCSS is off to a solid start to the recruiting season.