Syracuse Football: Secondary gets big boost as 4-star CB Duce Chestnut commits to SU

As the clock struck midnight, and the calendar year turned from 2023 to 2024, four-star LSU cornerback transfer Duce Chestnut, who previously played two seasons on the Hill, said on his X page that he would transfer back to Syracuse football.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Chestnut, a junior with the Tigers, said via social media on December 26 that he was officially in the transfer portal after only playing in four games at LSU in the 2023 season.

This means he can take a redshirt for the 2023 term and should have two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.

Once word broke that he was in the portal, numerous current and former ‘Cuse players chimed in on social media about Chestnut entering the portal. What’s more, many Orange fans expressed their opinions about the potential return of Chestnut to Central New York.

Syracuse football has scored a commitment from 4-star CB transfer Duce Chestnut.

To me, Duce coming back is huge for the ‘Cuse secondary, which has seen some players on the 2023 roster from that position group enter the transfer portal, such as Quan Peterson, Jakobie Seabourn, Aman Greenwood, Malcolm Folk (committed to Kent State) and Jeremiah Wilson (committed to Houston).

On the flip side, the Orange’s 2024 class includes several players who suit up at defensive back, whether in the team’s high school senior class or among its college transfers into the program.

By extension, existing ‘Cuse defensive backs Justin Barron, Alijah Clark and Jayden Bellamy are expected to return for another season in Central New York.

Additionally, Syracuse football coaches continue to pursue other defensive backs, whether at the high school level or among college transfers. These include 2024 four-star cornerback Kevyn Humes and 2024 four-star cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr.

In the 2021 season, his freshman year at the ‘Cuse, Chestnut led the team with three interceptions. He was named a freshman All-American by multiple national media outlets and also to the All-ACC third team, while finishing as the runner-up for ACC defensive rookie of the year.

In 2022, as a sophomore, Chestnut received an All-ACC honorable-mention nod. This past season at LSU, he appeared in four games, collecting six total tackles, four solo tackles, two assisted tackles, one tackle for a loss, one pass defended and one interception.

When I wrote this article on Monday morning, 247Sports in its national transfer rankings placed Chestnut at No. 81 overall and No. 16 at cornerback.

As a member of the 2021 recruiting cycle out of Camden High School in Camden, N.J., Chestnut was rated four stars by Rivals.com and three stars by several other recruiting Web sites.

In this class, he was deemed a top-25 to a top-50 cornerback as well as a top-10 prospect from New Jersey.

Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown and Orange assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson are both from Camden as well.

A big congratulations and welcome from ‘Cuse Nation to Duce on his return to the Hill!