Kendall Long commitment gives Syracuse Football needed WR depth

WR Kendall Long announced his commitment to the Orange on May 5. An important pickup, Long gives Syracuse Football a big time target.

Syracuse Football has been making moves. On May 5, they added two new recruits in WR Kendall Long and TE Derek McDonald, just one day after landing WDE Hayden Nelson. The three pickups showcase an early start on the class of 2021 recruiting trail, as the Orange currently sit in the top 60 of all FBS schools, according to 247sports’ composite rankings.

While that ranking really doesn’t mean much, it does show the Orange’s ability to stay competitive with ACC foes, as the Orange currently rank just one spot behind Louisville, while ahead of Georgia Tech, NC State, and Wake Forest.

However, the Kendall Long commitment did more than just boost the ‘Cuse recruiting ranking. Further than that, it gives Syracuse football a wide receiver to be excited about.

Long, who is listed at 6-foot-3 according to his 247sports profile, has an excellent burst of speed in the short field, shown in his highlight tape listed below, where he often catches passes near the line of scrimmage and takes off after securing the ball. He does seem to lack the type of breakaway speed that would allow him to blow past defenders in the open field, but his physicality makes up for it. Long has a muscular frame and is very tough to bring down.

However, Long’s commitment does much more than give Syracuse a talented wide receiver. Furthermore, it adds depth to the WR position, something that Syracuse football needs in order to succeed under head coach Dino Babers’ fast paced, high flying offense. Having solid players all up and down the wide receiver board allows for the ‘Cuse to insert players in and out to make the fast tempo offense work even more fluidly. And by adding talented players like Long, it gives the Orange the opportunity to always have guys that are tough to contain out there on the field.

Currently, Long would make nine receivers eligible for the 2021 season, which is of course subject to change for a number of reasons, such as transfers, players leaving for the NFL Draft, or in Long’s case, another recruit joining the Orange. I wouldn’t be surprised about the latter. If Syracuse football were to go after another receiver or two for the class of 2021, it could only boost the depth chart even more.