Calvin Russell III, the Orange two-sport star who is currently working through a torn Achilles tendon, says that he expects to continue playing for Syracuse basketball under new head coach Gerry McNamara, per a recent article from Syracuse.com's Chris Carlson.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Russell, a freshman from Opa Locka, Fla., spent part of Syracuse basketball's 2025-26 campaign on the team's roster after he enrolled at SU this past January. He only appeared in one game, scoring three points in mop-up duty when the 'Cuse fell at N.C. State in late January.
Russell was a five-star wide receiver and a top-35 national prospect in the 2026 class. He signed with Syracuse football last December, becoming the squad's highest-ranked commit in more than two decades.
However, Russell is also an excellent hoops player. He's a shooting guard/small forward. It was extremely important to Russell to play both football and basketball in college, and during his recruitment, he forged a strong relationship with Syracuse basketball's former staff, including then-head coach Adrian Autry, who was let go last month.
Calvin Russell III plans to play for Syracuse basketball next season.
Another former Orange standout, Gerry McNamara, is the new head coach of the 'Cuse, and Russell says he "definitely" will play for Syracuse basketball in 2026-27. He said he recently had a chat with McNamara, per Syracuse.com: "Went by the office, talked to him, had a nice talk. I’m ready for stuff to start up."
Not too long ago, word came out that Russell had suffered an injury that turned out to be a torn Achilles tendon. He told Syracuse.com that he's hopeful to play at some point for Syracuse football later on in the 2026 season.
Toward the beginning of April, SU football head coach Fran Brown said that it's possible Russell could come back to the program and play by late October. It's such a bummer that Russell suffered this injury, but it sounds like he's working hard to get on the field as soon as he can.
It is awesome, though, that Russell expects to continue competing for Syracuse basketball. While he's better known nationally as a wide receiver, Russell is a talented wing in hoops. I discussed that more in a column from last summer.