Pretty much ever since the start of the 2025 football season, one recruiting analyst or another has stated that Syracuse football 2026 commit Calvin Russell lll, a five-star wide receiver, is a flip target this fall.
Maybe that nonsense talk will halt.
In recent days, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Russell posted on his Instagram story, "Can't Wait To Get There." The graphic included a photo of him and Orange head coach Fran Brown. Love it.
Russell, rated in the top 25 nationally by 247Sports, is the highest-ranked commit for the 'Cuse in more than two decades. In early July, he verbally pledged to Syracuse football over other finalists Florida State, Michigan and Oregon.
He is likely to play for Syracuse basketball, too, at least initially. There is also chatter that he could enroll early and be on the Hill this coming January. The early signing period for 2026 football prospects will be this December.
At this juncture, the Orange has 29 verbal commits in its 2026 class, which is ranked No. 26 overall via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
Syracuse football commit Calvin Russell scored a touchdown over the weekend.
While Miami wasn't one of his official four finalists, Russell has taken two game-day visits to the Hurricanes this fall. One of his best friends plays for Miami, and Russell is from that Sunshine State city.
Last weekend, when the Orange fell to Duke, Russell was at the JMA Wireless Dome, along with numerous other Syracuse football commits and recruiting targets.
Russell is a standout senior at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, which won a state championship in 2024. The Bulls are 5-1 to date in the 2025 campaign. This past Saturday night, Miami Northwestern upset No. 22 Miami Central High School, 30-21.
According to media reports, in the first half, Russell hauled in a touchdown pass. Miami Northwestern is on a roll these days and looks to be a significant contender to win another state title in 2025, with Russell a key part of the Bulls' run.
I'm sure that some analysts will continue to maintain that Russell is on flip watch to the Hurricanes or another school. But he himself has shut down that chatter, and Russell, along with his family, is extremely close with Brown. The Orange is good here.