New Syracuse football commit, Buffalo state champion, puts up huge stats

Syracuse football has landed its 18th verbal commitment in its solid 2024 class, with media reports indicating that star athlete Ja’Meer Thomas from Buffalo, N.Y., has verbally pledged to the Orange.

First of all, a huge congrats to Ja’Meer. The Buffalo News first reported the news of Thomas verbally committing to the ‘Cuse, and SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister also confirmed this development.

https://twitter.com/j_tizz2/status/1704289922788565503

Thomas is a standout at Bennett High School in Buffalo. As a junior during the 2022 season, he put up massive statistics and won state and regional accolades in helping lead Bennett to a state title in New York.

Per his X page, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Thomas received a scholarship offer from the Orange on September 19. His X page also notes offers from Akron, Stony Brook, Merrimack and Maine.

Syracuse football has boosted its 2024 recruiting cycle.

A season ago, in early December, Bennett won the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA championship by defeating the Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, N.Y., by a final score of 42-8 at the JMA Wireless Dome. Per reports, Thomas scored multiple touchdowns in that game.

By the way, if you want to check out how Bennett and Thomas, a senior, are faring in the current 2023 stanza, you can find various results and stats on the MaxPreps Web site.

Per MaxPreps, as a junior in the 2022 campaign, Thomas rushed 79 times for 727 yards and seven touchdowns. He also hauled in 38 catches for 838 yards and 11 receiving scores.

But that’s not all. Thomas also tallied 312 kick-return yards and 94 punt-return yards. In total, over Bennett’s 13 contests last season, Thomas averaged 151.6 all-purpose yards per game, which is mighty impressive.

According to reports, Thomas has visited the SU campus in the past. His former Bennett teammate, Rashard Perry, is a freshman defensive lineman for Syracuse football.

Credit the Orange coaching staff for building a strong 2024 class to date, a cycle that includes several four-star prospects in wide receiver/tight end Jamie Tremble and quarterback Jakhari Williams, who both suit up for high schools in Georgia.

When I penned this column on Sunday, the ‘Cuse 2024 class was rated around No. 50 across the entire country by both Rivals.com and the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

From all of Orange Nation, a big welcome to Ja’Meer!