Lately, numerous predictions have arrived for Big Ten Conference powerhouse Oregon in the recruitment of 2026 four-star wide receiver Messiah Hampton, a long-time Syracuse football priority target.
Despite those projections for the Ducks on the 247Sports Web site, Rivals.com and the On3 Web site, Rivals.com national recruiting analyst and Syracuse University alum John Garcia Jr. says the Orange could have the inside track to ultimately land the Rochester, N.Y., product.
"This is more than a puncher’s chance for SU," Garcia told Syracuse.com's Brent Axe on his Syracuse Sports podcast, and Garcia also said, "I'd be surprised if Syracuse struck out."
Naturally, that's encouraging for the 'Cuse and its head coach, ace recruiter Fran Brown. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Hampton, New York's No. 1 prospect in the 2026 cycle, plans to make his college decision known on June 13.
Syracuse football is heavily in the mix for 2026 4-star WR Messiah Hampton from the Empire State.
Hampton, an All-State first-team performer at James Monroe High School in Rochester, has a top seven of the Orange, Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Miami.
As I noted above, lately, Oregon has received sizable analyst buzz for Hampton on recruiting Web sites, but those sorts of prognostications aren't always accurate. We'll have to wait and see.
Within the 2026 class, On3 has Hampton in the top 50 nationally and the top 10 at wide receiver. Syracuse football has courted him for a long time, although his primary recruiter at the 'Cuse, passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Ross Douglas, is now an assistant at Oregon, and that's important to keep in mind as Hampton wraps up his recruitment soon.
Mike McAllister, a top analyst with 247Sports, recently first reported that Hampton will officially visit Syracuse football on June 5. It's not entirely clear to me whether he will officially visit Oregon before his commitment announcement, as I've seen conflicting information in media reports and on recruiting Web sites regarding that particular topic.
Could Hampton's recruitment come down to Syracuse football and the Ducks? Perhaps. Then again, he's got other impressive programs in his top seven. Still, if I were a betting man, so to speak, I'd go with either the Orange or Oregon to prevail for the elite New York player.