Syracuse Football: 4-star CB, top-200 national player, to officially visit SU

One of the top cornerbacks around the country in the 2024 class plans to take an official visit to Syracuse football this weekend, according to a media report.

Four-star Marcellus Barnes Jr., a 6-foot-1, 170-pound player from Tennessee, is expected to officially visit the Orange this coming weekend, according to a report from Chad Simmons on the On3 Web site.

Barnes, via his X page, disclosed on December 4 that he had received a scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse coaching staff, led by new Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown, who most recently served as the defensive backs coach at Georgia.

"Writes Simmons, “When Marcellus Barnes decommitted from Virginia Tech last month, Georgia and Ole Miss looked to be the schools he would decide between around Dec. 20. His interest in Georgia had a lot to do with Fran Brown, and now that the former secondary coach in Athens has become the head coach at Syracuse, the Orange have jumped in this race.”"

Syracuse football has entered the recruiting mix of 2024 four-star cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr.

Per recruiting services, Barnes holds more than 15 offers from a range of high-major programs, such as Baylor, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest, among others.

Barnes is a standout senior at The McCallie School, a prep school located in Chattanooga, Tenn. He put up some impressive numbers in the 2023 season, which you can check out via the MaxPreps Web site.

By the way, a few days ago, Barnes helped guide McCallie to a state championship, and it was the team’s fourth state title over the last five years.

Simmons notes that Georgia and Ole Miss remain in the fray for Barnes, with On3’s director of recruiting adding, “Barnes has not scheduled an official visit to either school yet, but is likely to be in Athens or Oxford on the weekend of Dec. 15.”

When I wrote this column on Tuesday night, On3 had Barnes at No. 192 nationwide in the 2024 cycle, along with the No. 23 cornerback and the No. 4 prospect in Tennessee.

Brown and the coaching staff that he’s in the process of building out on the Hill aren’t wasting any time on the recruiting trail. Besides Barnes, other ‘Cuse targets who are planning to take official visits to the Orange this weekend include 2024 four-star wide receiver Jaylan Hornsby from New Jersey, 2024 four-star edge KingJoseph Edwards from Georgia, and 2024 four-star wide receiver Emanuel Ross from New Jersey, among others.