Syracuse Football: Orange spreading its geographic wings with 2021 class

Recent Syracuse football 2021 commits hail from California, South Carolina and Hawaii, as the Orange is recruiting well around the country.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has undeniably made recruiting more challenging – and limiting – for both Syracuse football coaches and the prospects that they are targeting.

Nevertheless, in recent weeks, the Orange has picked up commitments for its 2021 class from a variety of states across the United States, an indication that Syracuse is effectively growing its geographic coverage as it pertains to this recruiting cycle and, hopefully, other classes down the road.

CuseNation.com’s Mike McAllister, by the way, discussed this in a recent article that is really well done.

Let’s delve into some examples. Justin Lamson, a 2021 three-star quarterback from California, pledged his services to the Orange last Friday. He attends Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, Calif.

A few days before Lamson’s commitment, 2021 three-star defensive end Jatius Geer also said he would don a ‘Cuse uniform in about a year’s time. Geer is out of Belton-Honea Path High School in Honea Path, S.C.

In mid-June, Syracuse got a commitment from 2021 three-star offensive tackle Austyn Kauhi. He is from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama High School in Honolulu.

California, South Carolina and Hawaii – that’s a fairly diverse set of states for the Orange to receive commitments from in a span of only several weeks, particularly amid a pandemic.

"More from McAllister. “Geographically, Syracuse generally has stuck to the same areas. The northeast, the south and the midwest, with a few variances here or there. In the 2021 class, Syracuse is expanding its reach both in terms of commits and offers.”"

Based on a handful of scholarship offers out there to other high-school players in a range of states, should the Orange have success with these prospects, the ‘Cuse could find itself with commitments from guys in 15 different states, which would amount to a new high for the team in the Dino Babers tenure, according to McAllister.

In the 2020 recruiting cycle, Syracuse offered scholarships to players in 27 states, per McAllister. So far in the 2021 cycle, which is still ongoing, the Orange has doled out offers in 30 different states, and including Washington, D.C.

The ‘Cuse, with its 2021 recruiting efforts, is clearly spreading its geographic wings, and that’s an encouraging sign.