Syracuse Football: Duce Chestnut would give Orange first 2021 four-star
By Neil Adler
Duce Chestnut, an elite cornerback in the 2021 recruiting cycle, has listed eight finalists including Syracuse football.
Over the last few days, Syracuse football has picked up a pair of three-star players for its 2021 class, and now the Orange has its sights set on four-star cornerback Duce Chestnut.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Chestnut, a rising senior at Camden High School in Camden, N.J., revealed his top eight on July 4, and the schools are the ‘Cuse, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Kansas, Louisville and Rutgers.
That’s a pretty diverse group of contenders, with Syracuse stacking up against several Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten Conference squads, along with the SEC’s Ole Miss and Kansas out of the Big 12 Conference.
At this juncture, I’m not seeing any particular favorite for Chestnut’s services among recruiting analysts, and he told 247Sports’ Brian Dohn that his collegiate decision will come “when it feels right.”
https://twitter.com/BallgameDuce/status/1279565817093541892
It’s an understatement to say that landing Chestnut would prove a huge recruiting win for Syracuse. The Orange recently prevailed for a duo of 2021 players in three-star quarterback Justin Lamson and three-star defensive end Jatius Geer.
Those developments push the ‘Cuse 2021 class to 14 guys. Rivals.com presently places this recruiting cycle for Syracuse at No. 51 across the country, with 247Sports slotting it at No. 52.
The Orange’s 2021 class is undeniably solid, but getting Chestnut would provide the ‘Cuse with its inaugural four-star prospect, while simultaneously giving Syracuse a monumental recruiting boost.
Rivals.com arranges Chestnut at No. 137 nationally in the 2021 cycle, as well as No. 9 at his position and No. 4 in the state of New Jersey.
Meanwhile, the 247Sports Composite has Chestnut at No. 327 overall, No. 24 at cornerback, and No. 6 in New Jersey. Per his bio on Rivals.com, Chestnut holds 20 scholarship offers.
Duce Chestnut, a 2021 four-star cornerback, has unveiled a top eight, and Syracuse football remains in the mix.
Here is what he had to say about the Orange in Dohn’s article. “Syracuse has one of the best coaching staffs. The environment feels like a family environment. It is a great opportunity to come in and play early.”
"In an evaluation on Chestnut, Dohn likened him to Justin Coleman of the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Dohn wrote in part about Chestnut that he possesses the “frame to play corner or safety. Boundary corner is ideal spot. Instinctual and smart on field. Athletic and changes direction well. Tracks ball and is aggressive in coverage. Good in run support. Has body control. Strong tackler with technique.”"
Without question, the ‘Cuse faces a tremendous challenge in emerging victorious in the recruiting sweepstakes for Chestnut. Should Syracuse succeed in securing him, its 2021 class has the makings of something special.