Five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll, who won a state championship in Florida this past season as a junior, is not expected to take an official visit to Syracuse football before making his college decision in about a month.
That's according to top 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister. Orange fans, on social media and in chat rooms, have been wondering for a while now whether the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Russell would officially visit 'Cuse prior to his commitment announcement.
Of course, recruiting is a fluid thing, so that could change, but for now, McAllister says Russell, an elite 2026 wide receiver, won't go on an official visit to the Orange program. Is that a bad sign for the team's chances in Russell's recruitment? Maybe. Maybe not.
This weekend, according to a post on X from top On3 national recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett, Russell will take an official visit to Big Ten Conference powerhouse Oregon. It's important to note that the Ducks' wide receivers coach is Ross Douglas, who previously served as the Orange's passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
Syracuse football remains heavily in pursuit of 2026 five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll.
Russell, a standout rising senior at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, has a top eight of the 'Cuse, Miami, Oregon, Michigan, Florida State, Florida, LSU and North Carolina. He recently took an official visit to Florida and also officially visited LSU this past weekend.
With a planned commitment-announcement date of July 5, in a perfect world, it would prove ideal if Russell took an official visit to Syracuse football before making his college decision known. No doubt about it.
Yet at the same time, Russell has visited the 'Cuse campus on numerous occasions, including this past April for Syracuse football's annual spring game. As McAllister said, if Russell is ultimately going to pick the Orange, maybe he saves his official visit for this fall.
Or he could also quietly take an official visit to Syracuse football and not say anything about it publicly. Another potential scenario is that the Orange is losing its buzz with the top-25 national prospect, and Russell is likely to commit to another suitor when all is said and done.
Russell's recruiting process is one of the more fascinating ones to watch, as a Syracuse football fan, in recent years, because he's so highly ranked and also due to him keeping everything so close to the vest.
I've yet to see any analyst predictions for Russell on the 247Sports Web site, Rivals.com or the On3 Web site. I'll continue to monitor that.