Syracuse Football: 4-star lineman is Orange, and I’m saluting SU recruiting

Francois Nolton is a highly touted defensive end recruit from Miami, Florida, and he has committed to Syracuse football, according to his own personal Twitter account.

Sadly, Syracuse football didn’t get Jared Verse, who was the top transfer portal player I wished for but Nolton is the top high school recruit I hoped for and he’s Orange. Our own Neil Adler provided details on him and why this is a big-time get for the program.

https://twitter.com/99_nolton/status/1482514307732619265?s=21

In my opinion, Nolton has the potential to be like Dwight Freeney or Chandler Jones, who will make exciting plays in Orange, have Syracuse footballs fans on their feet cheering loudly and has NFL potential as he develops and gains experience and strength.

Neil also gave a great recap of quarterback Dan Villari, who recently transferred via the portal from Michigan to Syracuse. Both Nolton and Villari intend to enroll early so they can participate in spring practice and start working with staff right away to have a shot at competing right away.

To solidify the quarterback position, Syracuse also offered former Virginia commit LaNorris Sellers. Sellers’ Twitter feed doesn’t say he’s opened up his commitment but he has said in the past that if the QB Coach and OC left Virginia, “things might change” as far as his recruitment is concerned. Those coaches are QB coach Jason Beck and OC Robert Anae, who are now on the Syracuse football staff so that might be something to watch.

Why I’m excited about recent Syracuse football recruiting efforts.

Another name to watch is Michigan State WR CJ Hayes. Hayes has a visit to Syracuse scheduled for the weekend of January 21st, according to Mike McCallister. I’ve seen some point to his lack of stats but as Mike points out, the last two seasons he’s seen more playing time on special teams and at safety as well as dealing with injuries. And it’s very possible CJ comes in, fits well into the system and becomes a reliable target for whoever plays quarterback.

Also, Syracuse still has cornerback transfer Isaiah Johnson (who according to Mike has a visit scheduled a week after CJ) and tight end transfer Steven Stilianos as targets in the transfer portal. Both would fill needs and could also have legitimate chances at seeing playing time immediately.

I share all of this information to say this…I LOVE IT! These are reasons Orange fans should be excited about the upcoming season and the future. On top of some quality players who committed already in December as well as returning players like Tucker, Jones, Williams, Chesnut, Elmore and Wax among others, this team could be exciting to watch.

I do think based on all of this as well as the staffing changes made, a bid for the Fenway Bowl or Pinstripe Bowl is possible in the 2022 season. Syracuse recruiting, I salute you and thank you for giving me hope for the future of the program.