Dino Babers’ Recruiting Skills Will Make Syracuse Football Relevant

There’s been a desert in Central New York, at least for the Syracuse football team’s recruiting. Dino Babers is changing that one day at a time.

Dino Babers exciting high powered offense and “smash mouth” defense is winning over recruits.

“Build it and they will come”

Powerhouse teams such as Alabama, Michigan State, Florida and others have had underwhelming offseason’s from a recruitment standpoint. Unfortunately, by the time the summer is over, most of these top teams in the country will once again have a plethora of 5-star recruits, and a far better-recruiting class than the Orange. Things however are changing. Dino Babers has taken full advantage of the current lull in signings, and has been as active as any coach in the entire league.

Compared to last summer, Syracuse has made themselves extremely relevant in the recruitment game. According to 24/7 Sports, Syracuse’ eight commits for 2018, are better than most power 5 programs in the country, and ranks 30th overall in the country. That speaks volumes given Syracuse’s recent record.

Things are now different. Syracuse’s high powered “no huddle” offense is both fun to watch and be a part of as a player. The offense resurrected the career of Maryland transfer Amba Etta-Tawo and put him in a good position to make the NFL with ex-Syracuse coach Doug Marrone’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Syracuse Orange have been far from successful over the past four years, posting three four-win seasons and one three-win season. Despite Babers’ 4-8 record, the Orange were competing with teams like Louisville and Clemson for parts of the games they played in, and even took down No. 17 Virginia Tech last season.

Oct 15, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Orange head coach Dino Babers leads his team onto the field to face the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /

Dino Babers success recruiting wise stems from his ability to mold 3-star recruits to play at a 5-star level under the Orange program. The approach has also helped him land a 4-star recruit.

Now, let’s take a look at some of Syracuse’s commits so far.

Tommy DeVito, ESPN’s No. 8 pocket passer in the class of 2017 chose Syracuse over high-

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powered teams such as Maryland and Boise State. While the Orange still have Eric Dungey, the dual-threat QB that took the league by storm this past year, Tommy DeVito is also capable of taking over the QB1 role, and can step in and have an instant impact in case Dungey once again goes down with an injury.

Babers’ “light at the end of the tunnel”, will be the 2018 class. Babers lone four-star recruit to date is Tyrone Sampson Jr. Listed as the fourth overall center according to 24/7 sports. Sampson received offers from powerhouse teams such as Notre Dame, Louisville, and Michigan. How in the world did Babers pull this off? The message is getting out. Syracuse is playing an exciting brand of football. This is the Dino Babers effect, and the NCAA should start taking notice.

Atrilleon Williams, a three-star Wide Receiver, has far more talent than his rating suggests. Williams turned down offers from Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and other top programs in the country. Offers from those programs for a three-star player surely suggest that he is a hidden gem, and he should shine in the Orange and Blue.

But the offense doesn’t stop there. Jawhar Jordan and Akeem Dixon both signed letters of intent with the Orange for 2018. Arizona and Missouri both have publicly tried to pursue Jordan, while Louisville has been actively trying to grab Dixon.

Next: Syracuse Football: Position Grades for 2016-2017 Season

The players listed above are just a sample of what is on its way to the Carrier Dome. Dino Babers clearly understands that he won’t strike gold the first time he digs but is clearly making a statement. Dino Babers is for real, and if given enough time to recruit and develop talent, Syracuse is well on their way to relevancy both in the ACC, and on a national level.

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