Austin Roon provides Syracuse football with length, physicality and speed

Syracuse football further juices up its linebacker core with Austin Roon commitment.

Syracuse football is in a groove on the recruiting trail as it pertains to linebackers, with the Orange picking up Austin Roon, the second 2021 player at that position to select the ‘Cuse over the last couple of days.

In the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Roon, Syracuse is getting a defensive stud who has a high football IQ and demonstrates admirable leadership on the field, according to recruiting analysts.

Additionally, Roon has ample agility, length, and running prowess. He has competed through some injuries, and that perseverance and toughness will serve him well when Roon transitions to the collegiate level, his high-school coach, Mark Cisco, told mlive.com.

To date, the three-star Roon represents the Orange’s highest-rated commit in its 2021 recruiting cycle. The rising senior at Byron Center High School in Byron Center, Mich., is placed at No. 801 nationally by the 247Sports Composite.

At outside linebacker, the 247Sports Composite aligns Roon at No. 51 overall, with 247Sports putting him at No. 63. Within the state of Michigan, Roon is a top-30 guy.

Per various media reports, Roon boasts positional flexibility and can suit up at multiple different linebacker slots, which is intriguing as the ‘Cuse gets going under new defensive coordinator Tony White and his 3-3-5 system.

Austin Roon commitment gives Syracuse football two 2021 linebacker pledges in the past few days.

On Friday, 2021 three-star linebacker Malik Matthew also opted for Syracuse. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Matthew, a rising senior at Herbert H. Lehman High School in the Bronx, N.Y., is a top-10 prospect across his class in the Empire State as well as a top-90 player at outside linebacker.

The Orange coaching staff has significantly boosted the team’s defense with the 2021 class, as seven out of the first 10 commitments in this cycle are on the defensive side of the field.

Roon’s commitment improves the ‘Cuse 2021 class ranking on the 247Sports Web site from No. 49 to No. 46. On Rivals.com, Syracuse moves from No. 55 to No. 52.

Both of these recruiting services note that Roon received a dozen scholarship offers. Besides the Orange, his offers came from programs such as Air Force, Arizona State, Army, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and Western Michigan.

Pledges by Matthew and Roon could help offset the potential loss of Juan Wallace Jr., a reserve linebacker for the ‘Cuse who about a week ago said he will enter the transfer portal.

Wallace, a rising junior who suited up in 11 contests for Syracuse during his sophomore campaign, does have the option to return to the Hill.