Syracuse Football: 2021 class is looking solid on both sides of the ball

With three-star defensive tackle Elijah Fuentes on board, the Syracuse football 2021 class is shaping up as a well-balanced group.

The pledge by three-star defensive tackle Elijah Fuentes to Syracuse football is the latest example of the Orange’s 2021 class coming together as a unit that is talented on defense as well as offense.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Fuentes, a rising senior at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., is a top-100 defensive tackle nationally across this recruiting cycle, as well as a top-10 prospect from the state of New York.

He selected Syracuse football over other squads such as Boston College, Wake Forest, Rutgers, Duke and Buffalo. In the days leading up to his commitment to the ‘Cuse on Saturday, multiple recruiting experts on the 247Sports Web site forecast that he would pick the Orange, and these analysts proved correct.

While Fuentes is a promising player on defense, his commitment to Syracuse football comes about two weeks after 2021 three-star offensive tackle Tyler Magnuson opted to don a ‘Cuse uniform in about 12 months.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Magnuson, a rising senior at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., is slotted by 247Sports as the No. 114 offensive tackle in the country within the 2021 class, as well as a top-10 high-school player from the state of Minnesota.

The Syracuse football 2021 class is getting composed in a balanced, thoughtful manner.

The addition of Magnuson and Fuentes gives the Orange a total of 18 pledges in its 2021 recruiting cycle, half of whom are on offense, with the remaining half residing on defense. What’s more, roughly half of these guys are linemen – and that’s important for Syracuse football as it builds toward the future.

At this juncture, 247Sports places the ‘Cuse 2021 class at No. 53 overall, whereas Rivals.com is a bit more bullish, arranging the Orange at No. 49.

Some fans of the program aren’t all that jazzed up about Syracuse football possessing 17 three-star players and only one four-star prospect, elite cornerback Duce Chestnut, to date in the team’s 2021 cycle.

For me, however, this class has the makings of an absolutely solid one, and recruiting efforts by ‘Cuse coaches are undeniably heading in a positive direction.

Per 247Sports, 13 of the 18 Orange 2021 commits fall within the top 100 nationally at their position, and 10 of these players are in the top 75, position-wise.

Leading the way is Chestnut, a top-25 cornerback nationally in his class and also a top-six prospect in the state of New Jersey. A rising senior at Camden High School in Camden, N.J., he is the highest-rated recruit for Syracuse football since 2012.

Momentum is definitely on the Orange’s side as it continues to add players in the 2021 recruiting cycle, and it could become the best class so far in the Dino Babers era.