Recruiting rankings are good for context, but candidly, they don't always make sense. Case in point, in recent days, both 247Sports and Rivals - two of the primary recruiting services, along with ESPN - updated their 2026 rankings.
Understandably, Syracuse football fans are consistently tracking five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll from Florida, who is the program's highest-ranked commit in more than 20 years. The 6-foot-5 Russell verbally pledged to the 'Cuse in early July and is expected to officially sign with Syracuse football during the early signing period for 2026 prospects that arrives in early December.
This week, both 247Sports and Rivals updated their 2026 rankings. Syracuse football commit Calvin Russell, per 247Sports, is 5 stars, No. 23 overall and No. 2 at WR. At Rivals, he is 4 stars, No. 214 overall and No. 27 at WR. Somebody smarter than I - make it make sense to me.
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) November 19, 2025
Per 247Sports, Russell remains at five stars. He's also No. 23 overall, No. 2 at wide receiver and No. 2 in Florida. Russell is inside the top 70 nationally, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and the industry-generated Rivals Industry Ranking.
Syracuse football 2026 pledge Calvin Russell lll isn't getting as much love from another recruiting Web site.
Rivals, though, isn't as bullish on Russell. Following its latest refresh, Rivals has Russell at No. 214 overall, No. 27 at wide receiver and No. 26 in Florida. Say what now?
I get that recruiting rankings are subjective, and I'm not writing this article to slam Rivals. I talk to analysts at Rivals from time to time. Good people. Still, it's hard for me to believe that there are 26 better wide receivers out there than Russell within the 2026 class.
One thing to note here is that Russell has missed some games in the current 2025 season due to injury. You can check out some of his senior-year statistics here from the MaxPreps Web site.
Entering its Friday-night game, Russell's team, Miami Northwestern Senior High School, was 10-0 and ranked No. 26 nationally by MaxPreps. Miami Northwestern was a No. 1 seed in the Florida High School Athletic Association ("FHSAA") 3A state playoffs. On Friday evening, the Bulls were set to play No. 4 seed Key West High School in Key West, Fla., in a regional semifinal.
Earlier this month, one of Russell's Miami Northwestern teammates, 2026 four-star defensive back Tedarius Hughes, flipped from Florida State to the Orange. The 'Cuse has 30 verbal commits in a 2026 cycle that ranks No. 25 nationally by the 247Sports Composite.