Syracuse Football: 3-star OL transfer, set to visit to ‘Cuse, commits to Alabama

It looked like a recruiting battle might have been brewing between Syracuse football and Southeastern Conference powerhouse Alabama for three-star offensive lineman transfer Naquil Betrand.

Word broke in recent days that he was planning to take official visits to the Orange on January 5 and to the Crimson Tide on January 12.

However, not long after news of these two official visits came out, the 6-foot-6, 340-pound Betrand said via his X page that he was committing to Alabama.

While this is a bummer for the ‘Cuse, Orange Nation is wishing Naquil all the success in the world during his additional time in the SEC.

I had hoped that Betrand would have taken his official visit to Syracuse football before making his decision, but electing to suit up for Alabama, a perennial contender to make the College Football Playoff, is understandable.

Betrand, a freshman at Texas A&M, said via his X account on December 20 that he was entering the transfer portal. He has four years of collegiate eligibility remaining.

Syracuse football has missed out on three-star OL transfer Naquil Betrand.

The Orange recruited Betrand when he was a three-star prospect in the 2023 class out of Northeast High School in Philadelphia. He took official and unofficial visits to the ‘Cuse and had Syracuse football in his top six before verbally committing to Texas A&M in August of 2022.

Although Betrand is headed to Alabama, the Orange coaching staff has other things going on related to its pursuit of offensive linemen in its 2024 class.

In terms of commitments in the current cycle, the ‘Cuse has a pledge out of the transfer portal from three-star Georgia freshman offensive lineman Joshua Miller.

By extension, with the Orange’s high school senior cycle, the team has commitments from three-star offensive lineman Noah Rosahac of Jim Thorpe Area High School in Jim Thorpe, Pa., and three-star offensive tackle Willie Goodacre of John H. Guyer High School in Denton, Texas.

Additionally, last month, Syracuse football coaches offered scholarships to three-star Ohio University senior offensive lineman Kurt Danneker as well as three-star Princeton senior offensive lineman Jalen Travis.

Both Danneker and Travis have other impressive suitors, so let’s see if the ‘Cuse can get either or both of them on the SU campus for an official visit in the near future.