Syracuse football picked up its second 2027 verbal pledge this weekend when three-star athlete Amari Eliano from Ohio announced his commitment to the Orange on Sunday afternoon via social media.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Eliano, the son of SU defensive backs coach Perry Eliano, is a talented wide receiver/defensive back out of Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio.
Amari Eliano took an official visit to the 'Cuse from June 19 to June 21, and he announced an offer from the Orange, via head coach Fran Brown, on June 21. That trip to Central New York went quite well, Eliano says.
After a great conversation with @FranBrownCuse I am blessed to have received my first P4 offer from @CuseFootball🙌!!! @AllenTrieu @SWiltfong_ @GregSmithRivals @adamgorney @TomLoy247 @JaredLuginbill @ReggieWynns @coachdempsey3 @ToledoCCHS_FB @SkysTheLimitWR pic.twitter.com/Ug3fdUN7li
— Amari Eliano 3⭐️ (@Amari_Eliano) June 21, 2026
"Just the culture and how family-oriented they are," Eliano told 247Sports. "Making me feel at home. Something I learned being at Syracuse is how hard they work and how mentally tough you have to be to go to a place like Syracuse."
Syracuse football has bolstered its 2027 class with two pledges this weekend.
According to recruiting services, besides the Orange, Eliano has received scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and Western Michigan.
In the 2025 campaign, as a junior, Eliano caught 25 passes for 404 yards and three scores through the air, he said in a post on X. Last year, Central Catholic went 11-5 overall, according to MaxPreps.
Junior Full SZN Highlights
— Amari Eliano 3⭐️ (@Amari_Eliano) December 29, 2025
- 25 catches
- 404 yards
- 3 TD’s
- 16 yards per catch @AllenTrieu @SWiltfong_ @JaredLuginbill @TomLoy247 @coachdempsey3 @ToledoCCHS_FB @ReggieWynns @RisingStars6 @adamgorney @GregSmithRivals https://t.co/0zHgEfjjvy pic.twitter.com/0mtO1NbuV1
Eliano's verbal pledge to Syracuse football comes after 2027 defensive lineman Chima Okechukwu announced his commitment to the Orange on Saturday night, also per his social media accounts.
The 6-foot-9, 315-pound Okechukwu attends the Mt. Zion Preparatory Academy in Lanham, Md. On June 4, he landed an offer from SU, and he also took an official visit to Syracuse football that month. His full offer sheet included West Virginia, Maine and Monmouth.
With this weekend's developments, the 'Cuse has seen its 2027 cycle grow to 26 verbal commitments in a class that was No. 39 overall on 247Sports and No. 45 per Rivals on Sunday prior to Eliano's pledge.
Most of Syracuse football's 2027 commits are rated three stars. At least three of them are ranked four stars by at least one recruiting service. They are running back Elijah Kimble from New York, safety Jalen Welch from Georgia and wide receiver Chanin Harris from South Carolina.
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