Analyst says Syracuse football among top suitors for 4-star NJ safety, visit may come

Syracuse football is among four college programs reaching out the most so far in the recruitment of 2026 four-star prospect KJ McClain from New Jersey, according to a national analyst.

In a recent article, Rivals.com and Yahoo Sports national recruiting director Adam Gorney discussed various prospects across several classes, including the 6-foot, 175-pound McClain.

On his X page, McClain notes that he is a multi-positional athlete suiting up at both free safety and wide receiver. Per his X account, McClain received a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse staff in March of 2023.

He had been competing for the Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange, N.J., but social media posts from earlier this summer indicated that he will spend the 2024 season playing for Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, N.J.

Early on, Syracuse football is a key contender for 2026 four-star athlete KJ McClain.

Gorney wrote that McClain, a junior, "does not have any solid visit plans yet but McClain definitely has four programs reaching out the most. ... Rutgers, Penn State, Boston College and Syracuse are tops on his list and he could see all four throughout this season."

According to recruiting services, beyond the 'Cuse, McClain's full offer sheet includes schools such as Boston College, Duke, Penn State, Rutgers, West Virginia, Temple, Maryland, Marshall, James Madison, Pittsburgh, UMass, Kent State, Connecticut and Toledo.

When I wrote this story, Rivals.com rated McClain as four stars, No. 26 at safety and No. 6 in New Jersey within the 2026 class.

At the time of this writing, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, McClain checked in as three stars, No. 377 overall, No. 29 at safety and No. 7 in New Jersey.

Over at the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, he was three stars, No. 341 nationally, No. 32 at safety and No. 6 in New Jersey.

As I noted in another recent column, according to Gorney's terrific reporting, Syracuse football is also among the college squads standing out the most to 2026 four-star cornerback/running back Julian Peterson.

Gorney says that Penn State, Pittsburgh, Georgia and the 'Cuse are perhaps the top suitors at this juncture for the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Peterson, who picked up a Syracuse football scholarship offer in late July of this year and attends Winslow Township High School in Atco, N.J.

Orange head coach Fran Brown and several of his assistants hail from New Jersey, and the Garden State is a recruiting focus of the Syracuse football staff.

The 'Cuse, so far, has one verbal pledge in its 2026 class. In mid-April of this year, four-star running back D'Antae Sheffey of Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Pa., verbally committed to the Orange.