Syracuse football makes the top 12 for elite 4-star cornerback who visited last month

Syracuse football continues to make list cuts of highly ranked recruits in the 2025 class.

On Friday, top-100 national prospect Dawayne Galloway Jr. from Ohio disclosed his top 12 on X, and the Orange made the cut.

Others still in the running for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Galloway include Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Colorado, West Virginia, Georgia, Michigan, Purdue, Texas A&M, UCF and Penn State.

Throughout his recruitment, he has picked up more than 20 offers from a range of high-major programs. Per his X page, Galloway received a scholarship offer from the new ‘Cuse coaching staff on December 20 of last year.

A consensus four-star, top-200 overall player in the junior cycle, Galloway is a standout cornerback/athlete at Marion-Franklin High School in Columbus, Ohio, who also runs track and field.

Syracuse football remains in contention for 2025 four-star Dawayne Galloway Jr.

It’s worth noting that new Orange head coach Fran Brown previously served as the defensive backs coach at Georgia, and the Bulldogs are also in Galloway’s top 12.

When Syracuse football offered him, Galloway said in part regarding Brown, “I’m very thankful to have this opportunity to play for arguably the best CB coach in America.”

In late January, Galloway was one of numerous ‘Cuse targets on the SU campus for unofficial visits during one of the team’s junior days. He was in attendance at the JMA Wireless Dome as Syracuse basketball defeated fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad N.C. State and Orange legend Dave Bing was inducted into the SU Athletics Ring of Honor.

In interviews after his unofficial visit, Galloway spoke highly of his trip to Central New York and the Syracuse football program.

When I wrote this article on Friday night, his highest national ranking in the 2025 class came via ESPN, which placed Galloway at No. 80 overall, No. 10 at cornerback and No. 2 in Ohio.

The industry-generated 247Sports Composite rated him at No. 97 nationwide, No. 13 at cornerback and No. 4 in Ohio. Over at On3, Galloway was No. 98 around the country, No. 11 at cornerback and No. 3 in Ohio.

In an interview with On3 director of recruiting Chad Simmons, Galloway said that he’s eyeing a college decision “this summer.”

The Orange has a lot of positive momentum these days in the junior cycle. On January 27 of this year, 2025 four-star edge Sharlandiin Strange of Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pa., verbally committed to the ‘Cuse over Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Southern California.

In recent days, 2025 four-star wide receiver and return man Vernell Brown III of Jones High School in Orlando, Fla., included Syracuse football in his top 11.

Word recently broke that 2025 three-star defensive back Byron Baldwin of Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Md., plans to visit the Orange on April 19.

A couple of days ago, 2025 four-star offensive tackle Jaelyne Matthews of Toms River High School North in Toms River, N.J., who is also a top-100 national prospect, said that he will officially visit Syracuse football from May 31 to June 2.

John Forster, a four-star running back in the junior cycle out of the Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, N.J., will take an official visit to the Hill on June 7.

On February 10, another 2025 product from Ohio, three-star running back Kentrell Rinehart, disclosed a top five that included the ‘Cuse.

Rinehart, who will spend his senior year at Westland High School in Galloway, Ohio, says that he plans to officially visit all of his finalists. He, too, made an unofficial visit to the Orange in late January.