Syracuse basketball offers Baltimore 5-star, nation’s No. 1 PG in his class

I had written a couple of times in the past about how Syracuse basketball was reportedly showing interest in top-flight point guard Tyler Jackson out of Baltimore, according to the 247Sports Web site.

That interest has turned into a formal scholarship offer, a development that the 6-foot-3 Jackson disclosed via his Twitter page.

Jackson, who was terrific in his sophomore season for the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore during the 2022-23 campaign, hasn’t slowed down a bit as the various shoe-sponsored circuits recently held two sessions in late April amid NCAA live periods.

Several recruiting services presently rate Jackson as a four-star, top-20 national prospect in the 2025 cycle, however, ESPN placed him as a five-star, top-10 overall player when it recently refreshed its ratings for the sophomore class.

Syracuse basketball faces growing competition for 2025 five-star point guard Tyler Jackson.

In grassroots basketball, Jackson competes for the 16U squad of the Baltimore-based Team Thrill in the Under Armour Association league. This past weekend, with college coaches watching, the Under Armour Association held a session at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in Rock Hill, S.C.

Jackson earned high praise from a variety of national recruiting analysts and scouts for his play last weekend. In fact, according to a tweet from 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein, Jackson dropped a combined 52 points in the semifinals and the finals to help lead Team Thrill to the Under Armour Association’s 16U spring title.

"Jamie Shaw, a national analyst with On3 who watched this new Syracuse basketball recruit over the weekend during the live period, had this to say. “Tyler Jackson plays with a fire, something that combines confidence and competitiveness. He has long arms, great length, and a quick-twitch body. In the high school year with Baltimore (MD) St. Frances, you saw a lot of shooting from him. He got to his spots, got downhill, and would look toward the rim. In this setting, playing on the ball, Jackson did a good job getting into the paint and making plays. He is a good athlete with a nice burst, and he is skilled. He consistently was able to make plays in the Under Armour Circuit, and that part was interesting.”"

In the 2022-23 season, as a sophomore for the Saint Frances Academy, Jackson was named to the Baltimore Catholic League All-League second team. The Panthers, this past term, captured the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (“MIAA”) A Conference championship.

His recruiting process has a way to go, but besides the Orange, Jackson has landed a handful of early offers, including from Kansas, Alabama, Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, Seton Hall, DePaul, George Mason, Georgia Tech and Rhode Island, among others.

In mid-June, the contact period will open up for 2025 prospects. That means college coaches, at that time, will be able to initiate direct communication with Jackson. His offer sheet should significantly expand by then, if not sooner.

I’m excited that Syracuse basketball coaches have offered Jackson. The Orange coaching staff has doled out several offers lately to players in the Washington, D.C., market, and the nearby Baltimore region has plenty of talented prospects, too.

When ESPN recently updated its 2025 national rankings, Jackson arrived as five stars, No. 9 across the country, No. 1 at point guard and No. 1 in the state of Maryland within the sophomore class.