A top national analyst thinks that the recruitment of 2026 five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll from Florida could end up coming down to Syracuse football and another Orange-clad school, fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Miami.
John Garcia Jr., a Syracuse University alum and a top national analyst with Rivals.com, joined Syracuse.com's Brent Axe this week on the Syracuse Sports podcast to discuss two 2026 priority wide receiver targets for the Orange program.
One of those priority recruits is the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Russell, a top-25 national prospect in his class. Russell, who as a junior in the 2024 season won a Florida state title with Miami Northwestern Senior High School, has a final eight of Syracuse football, Miami, Oregon, Michigan, Florida State, Florida, LSU and North Carolina.
He plans to make his college decision known on July 5. Understandably, Orange football fanatics are keeping their fingers crossed that Russell ultimately picks Syracuse football, and the 'Cuse has a legit shot at prevailing here in what would be a monumental recruiting win for head coach Fran Brown and his staff.
A top analyst dishes on Syracuse football five-star target Calvin Russell lll.
Garcia tells Axe that the recruiting battle over Russell could boil down to the 'Cuse and the Hurricanes, even though he has officially visited other suitors in his top eight. "It’s SU and it’s Miami to a degree," Garcia says.
On Wednesday, I didn't see any analyst predictions for Russell on the 247Sports Web site, Rivals.com or the On3 Web site. That, of course, could change in the coming weeks as his commitment announcement inches closer.
Russell recently took official visits to Florida and LSU. This weekend, he will officially visit Oregon, whose wide receivers coach is former Syracuse football assistant Ross Douglas, and then Miami during the weekend that begins on June 13, according to top 247Sports recruiting expert Gaby Urrutia.
Top 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister reported earlier this week that Russell isn't expected to officially visit the Hill before July 5. However, Russell has visited the 'Cuse on numerous occasions throughout his recruiting process, including this past April for the Orange's annual spring game.
It's also important to mention, something I've reported in the past, that Russell is an excellent hoops player. On his Instagram page, he's reported a scholarship offer from Syracuse basketball, and that's something to keep in mind as his recruitment winds down.
Personally, I think that his hometown college squad, Miami, will be tough to beat. But the 'Cuse is right there for Russell, too, according to Garcia and other national analysts.