5-star WR Calvin Russell makes it crystal clear he isn't flipping away from Syracuse

This fall, Syracuse football (and basketball) fans have had to repeatedly listen to national analysts talk over and over and over again about how 2026 five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll was a flip target ahead of the early signing period, which runs from December 3 to December 5.

The 6-foot-5 Russell, a top-25 national prospect in the senior class per 247Sports, has shut down any of that flip-talk nonsense. On Friday, among some publicly available quotes on X, Russell said of his recruitment to Rivals analyst Marcus Benjamin, "It’s done."

Russell, the Orange's highest-rated football commit in more than two decades, added: "We have a bond that is unbreakable."

Heck freaking yeah. The early signing period can't get here soon enough. The word is that Russell will enroll at SU for the spring semester that starts in January. There's also been talk of him playing for Syracuse basketball, but let's see how that shakes out.

Syracuse football 2026 5-star commit Calvin Russell lll has quieted any flip talk.

In early July, on his birthday, Russell verbally pledged to the Orange over other finalists Florida State, Michigan and Oregon. The standout senior at Miami Northwestern Senior High School has said more than once that he chose the 'Cuse because of the strong relationship that he, and his family, have with Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown.

The Miami Hurricanes have maintained contact with Russell this fall, and he's attended several games in recent months with his hometown college program. However, Russell also unofficially visited Syracuse football against Duke, and a few weeks ago, he took an official visit to the Hill as the Orange played North Carolina on Halloween.

Russell and Miami Northwestern, this past Thursday night, opened their title defense in the Florida High School Athletic Association ("FHSAA") 3A state playoffs with a 70-0 thumping of the Somerset Academy from Pembroke Pines, Fla. The Bulls, ranked No. 24 in the country by MaxPreps, are 10-0 and will next play on November 21.

On November 4, Russell's Miami Northwestern teammate, 2026 four-star defensive back Tedarius Hughes, flipped from Florida State to Syracuse football, in another huge win for the Orange staff. Hughes had also been on a visit to Central New York, alongside Russell, for the UNC contest.

Led by Russell, Hughes and a handful of other four-star pledges, the Orange's 30-member 2026 cycle is currently No. 23 around the country via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, which would be the highest-rated class for the 'Cuse in the modern era of recruiting rankings over the Internet.