Syracuse basketball may miss on its top 2026 targets; it's not the end of the world

Amid the early signing period that runs through November 19, Syracuse basketball may not pick up a 2026 commit. And that's okay.

The Orange may also not land a 2026 high school pledge in the coming months, with the regular signing period for seniors arriving next April. That's also okay.

Wait, what are you talking about, Neil? Here me out, friends. While the 'Cuse swinging and missing on its three top targets in the 2026 class, it's not the end of the world. For one, the Orange's current roster features 13 scholarship players, and only several of them will have exhausted their college eligibility once the 2025-26 season is over.

The focus for Syracuse basketball should be on, and likely will be on, retaining its current players. Additionally, at the 'Cuse and around the country, there is more of an emphasis on transfer portal recruiting these days over prep recruiting.

The Orange's 2025 class, for example, featured six college transfers and five incoming freshmen. Getting talented veteran transfers, in many cases, is more important and more valuable than securing pledges from high school prospects. That's just where we are in the sport, amid revenue-sharing and third-party NIL.

It's not a huge deal if Syracuse basketball misses on its top 2026 recruits.

In 2026, the 'Cuse has three key targets: Five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. and four-star wing/power forward Asher Elson. All three have visited the Hill at least once.

Neither Rippey nor Smith is expected to sign during the early period. Rippey will drop a top five at some point soon. I candidly don't know if Syracuse basketball will make the cut. Smith has a top six that includes the Orange; Duke is thought to be the leader here.

Elson, meanwhile, has the 'Cuse in his top four. What I'm hearing is that it's not entirely clear one way or another if Elson will sign early. Additionally, Auburn and Maryland might be out in front for him.

As I've said on many occasions of late, Syracuse basketball faring well on the court in the current campaign is vital to not only the long-term stability of the coaching staff, but also the staff's ability to haul in top-flight high school prospects such as Rippey and Smith.

National recruiting analyst Sam Kayser recently touched on Syracuse basketball's 2026 class when he chatted with my guy Jackson Holzer, the host of the Locked On Syracuse daily podcast. Of Rippey, Smith and Elson, Kayser thinks that the Orange's best shot at prevailing lies with Elson. However, Kayser doesn't think the 'Cuse will win out for any of them, and I'm in that camp, too.

Kayser noted that for Syracuse basketball, it's all about winning games and getting the product on the floor moving in the right direction after missing the NCAA Tournament for four straight seasons. With the transfer portal's explosion, Kayser accurately said, "You can flip a roster in a few weeks."

Don't get me wrong. It will sting if Rippey, Smith and Elson all head elsewhere. Syracuse basketball coaches have recruited these three targets hard for quite some time. The Orange staff has put in the work. But the 'Cuse staff is also in somewhat of a weird position for the time being. We have to see how the 2025-26 season pans out.

Plus, it's entirely possible that Syracuse basketball coaches could end up going after other high school seniors for whom I'm not even aware at this juncture. In the coming months, some 2026 prospects may de-commit from their current college programs, and the Orange could pursue them.

It's also conceivable that the 'Cuse staff could look at some 2027 players who may ultimately re-class into the 2026 cycle. To that end, as Kayser and other analysts have said, it may be another month or two or three before these 2027 prospects make their final decisions about whether they want to move into the 2026 class.

Just to reiterate, the regular signing period for the 2026 cycle doesn't arrive until April of 2026. Would it be a bummer if the Orange is still without a 2026 high school commit a couple of months from today? Absolutely. But it's also not the end of the world.