Media outlet and recruiting service On3 has updated its national rankings of the top-300 prospects in the 2026 class, and Syracuse football is well-represented in this refresh.
Head coach Fran Brown and his top-flight staff are off to a fast start in the 2026 cycle, already picking up verbal commitments from three talented players in the rising junior cycle.
Now, it will be some time before 2026 prospects can officially sign on with their respective college squads, so let's see how everything pans out with current and future 'Cuse pledges in this class.
At the same time, when I wrote this article on Tuesday, the Orange's 2026 cycle checked in at No. 3 nationally, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, as well as No. 6 overall via Rivals.com.
Syracuse football 2026 four-star verbal commits are highly ranked in updated national ratings.
The 'Cuse first got on the board in this class in late March, when four-star athlete/defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr. verbally committed to Syracuse football. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Samuel is with Heritage High School in Palm Bay, Fla.
Staying in the Sunshine State, in mid-April, four-star linebacker/edge Izayia Williams verbally pledged to the Orange. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Williams is a standout at Tavares High School in Tavares, Fla.
A few days later, on April 20, word broke on social media that four-star running back D'Antae Sheffey had also verbally committed to Syracuse football. The 6-foot, 190-pound Sheffey suits up for Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Pa.
Here are the latest 2026 rankings from On3 for this trio of Orange verbal pledges:
Demetres Samuel Jr.
No. 52 overall, No. 4 at athlete and No. 10 in Florida
Izayia Williams
No. 41 overall, No. 3 at linebacker and No. 6 in Florida
D'Antae Sheffey
No. 237 overall, No. 26 at running back and No. 7 in Pennsylvania
In a story on Monday from On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power, it was noted that fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Florida State leads the way early on with four verbal commits within On3's national rankings for the 2026 class.
Syracuse football, as you can see, has three verbal pledges within this top 300, which is mighty impressive. It's a new era when it comes to Orange recruiting under Brown and his assistants.
To reiterate, the recruiting processes of 2026 players have a way to go, but to date, the 'Cuse class in this cycle has two guys in the top 60 nationally, and a third prospect who resides in the top 250 around the country. Just fabulous.