Syracuse football had a rough go of it on the field in week 10, but there were a lot of interesting folks at the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday night, as the Orange fell to North Carolina, 27-10.
Among the visitors was Orange 2026 commit Calvin Russell lll, a five-star wide receiver out of Miami Northwestern Senior High School. The 6-foot-5 Russell, a top-25 national prospect, posted to his Instagram story a photo of himself at the Dome. He also visited the 'Cuse in late September when Syracuse football hosted Duke.
Final from the Dome. North Carolina beats Syracuse, 27-10. It is UNC's first power-conference and ACC win. The Orange has lost five straight and falls to 3-6 overall, 1-5 in the ACC. 'Cuse will travel to No. 10 Miami on November 8.
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) November 1, 2025
Miami Northwestern was idle on Friday evening. In early July, Russell verbally committed to the Orange over other finalists Florida State, Michigan and Oregon. Despite Miami reportedly pushing for a flip, he is expected to sign with the 'Cuse during the early period for 2026 prospects in December and enroll with SU for the spring semester next January.
Other visitors to the Dome on Friday.
Quarterback Kyle McCord was also on the Hill for the Syracuse football game against the Tar Heels. McCord set all kinds of program and Atlantic Coast Conference records in 2024, his only season with the Orange. He's now on the practice squad with the Philadelphia Eagles, the defending Super Bowl champions.
FAMILY 🍊🎯@kylemccord16 pic.twitter.com/agO8bVAesp
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) October 31, 2025
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips was also at the Dome on Friday night, according to media reports. Aaron Boone, the manager of the New York Yankees, was on hand, too. Boone's son, Brandon, is an offensive assistant with the North Carolina program, according to his LinkedIn page.
As I've noted in several recent columns, numerous Syracuse football verbal commits and highly ranked recruiting targets took unofficial visits to the 'Cuse to watch the UNC encounter. Among the 2026 verbal pledges were four-star wide receiver Amare Gough and three-star quarterback Zaid Lott.
Recruiting targets included 2027 four-star athlete Carter Bonner, 2027 four-star edge Frederick Ards, 2027 four-star edge Mekai Brown, 2027 four-star running back Elijah Kimble and 2027 four-star edge Desmond Malpress.
Former Syracuse football edge rusher KingJoseph Edwards was also at Friday evening's contest, according to his X page. This season, he has been playing for Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y., near Albany.