New Syracuse basketball 2027 verbal commit: 'Elite perimeter shooter with unlimited range'

Jack Donohue, the Albany, N.Y., product who verbally committed to Syracuse basketball earlier this week, has an inspirational story. There's no denying that. The 2027 three-star wing had to endure open-heart surgery last year.

While the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Donohue is a great young man - polite, respectful and selfless, to name a few personality traits - he's also a fast-rising prospect who has emerged as a high-major recruit.

Orange first-year head coach Gerry McNamara had recruited him for a while, dating back to his time leading Siena, and that pursuit continued when McNamara became SU's boss this past March, bringing several players and assistants over with him from the Saints.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Donohue is an excellent long-range shooter, something that McNamara was known for during his storied SU career, which included hitting a half-dozen shots from deep in the first half of the 2003 national title game, when Syracuse basketball beat Kansas to give the 'Cuse its first NCAA Tournament grand prize.

Currently, Donohue is ranked No. 272 overall, No. 62 at small forward and No. 4 in Massachusetts in the 2027 class by the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. After word broke on Monday evening that Donohue had verbally pledged to the 'Cuse, some SU fans mentioned his 2027 rankings and wondered why McNamara and his staff would accept a commitment from Donohue.

To that end, Inside the Loud House talked to several coaches who know Donohue, and the consensus is that this young man will fit in well within McNamara's system and the culture he's building on the Hill.

"Jack is the kind of person and player I would want to build my program with. An elite perimeter shooter with unlimited range," said Mike Rice, who is the head coach of the 17U team of the Jersey Shore, N.J.-based NJ ShoreShots, the Under Armour Association ("UAA") grassroots program that Donohue competed for this spring and summer.

Donohue is heading into his senior year at The Newman School in Boston, which went 38–3 overall in the 2025-26 season and won the national prep championship. He previously played at the Christian Brothers Academy in Albany.

At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Donohue possesses strong positional size for a wing. Without question, his shooting prowess from beyond the arc will come in handy for an SU squad that has struggled from the perimeter in recent seasons.

However, 2027 three-star wing Jack Donohue brings more than 3-point shooting to Syracuse basketball.

Donohue is an extremely hard worker and "lives in the gym," Syracuse alum Katie Kolinski, the head coach of the girls' basketball team at Newman, told Inside the Loud House this week. "He is such a nice kid. ... Loves the game of basketball and plays so hard. He’s so respectful, always says hello to people. Really great locker room addition, too."

McNamara and his staff at Siena offered Donohue last summer. In late June of this year, Donohue received an offer from the 'Cuse, and he also took an unofficial visit to Syracuse basketball that month, Inside the Loud House first reported.

Now that he's committed to the Orange, it's likely that Donohue will go on an official visit to Syracuse basketball at some point later this year, perhaps to watch a 'Cuse hoops game in person at the JMA Wireless Dome, Inside the Loud House is told.

Last month, at the UAA's season-ending playoffs in Louisville, Ky., Donohue earned praise from scouting experts at The Circuit as he averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Rice shared more with me, saying that Donohue is a "hard worker who brings a spirit and energy to every aspect of the game of basketball. Someone who takes joy in his teammates' success. Which is rare these days. At 6’8 and a body that can add so much more muscle, his upside is tremendous. He will represent Syracuse basketball on and off the court with class and humility. Coach (McNamara) knows he has a good one. All Jack needs now is time and a chance to prove everyone wrong again!!"

For my money, if Donohue has a good senior year at Newman, he can evolve into a four-star, top-100 national prospect in the 2027 cycle. But putting national rankings to the side, Donohue is the kind of basketball player - and the kind of person - whom McNamara and his staff want representing Syracuse University.

I'm rooting for Jack, and I look forward to tracking his senior season in the Northeast, competing for the Cardinals.

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