Syracuse football 3-star OL commit wants to be one of the best to come out of NYC

Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown and his top-flight staff have, to date, hauled in a large 2025 class.

In that cycle, at the time of this writing, the Orange had 28 verbal pledges, and nearly a third of those commitments have come from high school players in New York state.

Ever since Brown officially took over the 'Cuse program in early December of last year, he and his assistants have focused their recruiting efforts along the Northeast corridor as well as numerous other states, such as Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Texas and Florida.

But keeping talented Empire State prospects home, so to speak, is vital, and Syracuse football coaches have done a strong job in that regard as it relates to their 2025 class, which when I wrote this story checked in at No. 33 around the country, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

Recent Syracuse football 2025 3-star pledge Jayden Mann discusses his college decision.

Earlier this month, one of the Orange's latest commitments in the rising high school senior class transpired when 2025 three-star offensive lineman Jayden Mann from New York City picked the 'Cuse over other finalists Rutgers, Georgia Tech and West Virginia.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Mann, who was offered by Syracuse football in mid-February of this year and took an official visit to the Hill in the late spring, is rated as the No. 2 player in New York state by ESPN in the 2025 cycle.

On a national scale, both the 247Sports Composite and the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking placed him, at the time of this writing, within the top 1,000 overall of his class.

Mann is a rising senior at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., which in the 2023 season went 12-2 overall and won the New York Catholic High School Football League ("CHSFL") AAA championship.

One of his teammates at Cardinal Hayes, 2025 three-star quarterback Rich Belin, verbally committed to Syracuse football in late June. Belin's brother, three-star defensive lineman Blake Belin, also suits up for Cardinal Hayes and is a 'Cuse recruit in the 2025 class.

In a recent interview with top 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister, Mann said his recruitment ultimately came down to Georgia Tech and the Orange. He said, "I just felt like Syracuse was at home, New York, staying at home. It was pretty hard. Going on all the visits opened my eyes."

Mann said to McAllister that he appreciates that Syracuse football coaches are in regular communication with him, adding, "It's really cool what they've got going on up there."

Mann says it's "very special" that his high school teammate, Rich Belin, is also verbally committed to the Orange in the 2025 class. And it's possible that Blake Belin could end up joining them in Central New York.

In his interview with 247Sports, Mann said playing college football in his home state is important, and he plans to represent New York City at a high level at the 'Cuse. Said Mann: "Putting on for the city. Making New York shine. Show that we've got ballers and stuff. I just want to be one of the legendary guys to go down as one of the best to come out of New York."

Sounds like an awesome goal to me, Jayden!