Syracuse football special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield and the rest of the Orange staff aren't messing around when it comes to their recruiting efforts in the 2026 cycle.
On Sunday, as he was on an official visit to the Hill this past weekend, 2026 kicker Shay Barker verbally committed to the 'Cuse program. The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Barker attends Kennett High School in Kennett Square, Pa.
The Orange staff, led by head coach Fran Brown, offered a scholarship to Barker earlier this month. Kohl's ranks Barker as 4.5 stars, writing in an evaluation that he participated in a 2025 spring showcase and "turned in a strong performance. He made 7 field goals during the charting session and earned a kickoff score of 109.35. His best kickoff traveled 73 yards with 3.66 seconds of hang time, showing excellent leg strength and clean ball striking. Barker has the tools to continue progressing at a high level and should be a prospect to keep an eye on.
Kohl's continued with, "Barker participated in the 2025 Kohl's Future Stars Camp. He made 5 field goals during the event and earned a kickoff score of 100.00. His standout ball traveled 66 yards with a hang time of 3.65 seconds, showcasing his ability to generate excellent power and hang time. Barker has demonstrated solid potential and with continued focus on development, he can further elevate his kicking game."
Syracuse football also has a top-notch punter in its 2026 cycle.
In mid-June, following his official visit to the Orange, 2026 three-star punter Jimmy Gregg verbally pledged to the 'Cuse. He was offered by Syracuse football in late March of this year.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Gregg, a rising senior at University High School in Morgantown, W.Va., is rated the nation's No. 1 punter and the No. 3 prospect from West Virginia in his class, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
In the 2024 season, per 247Sports, Gregg averaged 42.7 yards per punt as a junior. He "downed 21 balls inside the 20-yard line, including 9 inside the 10-yard line."
It's no secret that, by and large, Syracuse football struggled in the special teams department a stanza ago, when the program went 10-3 overall and attained a top-20 national ranking in Brown's debut term as the team's head coach.
One of the most glaring issues is that, per SU Athletics, the Orange only went 13-of-22 on field-goal attempts in 2024. Last year's special teams coordinator, James Vollono, was not retained, and Brumfield came on board at the 'Cuse.
Punting, to be fair, has been a bright spot. Punter Jack Stonehouse, who will be a redshirt senior in the upcoming 2025 campaign, averaged 45.7 yards per punt in 2024 and received an All-ACC honorable mention nod after making the All-ACC third team in 2023.
Ready to put the world on notice 📝📈‼️@_JackStonehouse and @Darrell_Gill_jr have been named to @philsteele042 preseason All-ACC team 🍊🎯 pic.twitter.com/e3jo6aJjZP
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) June 22, 2025
What's more, long-time college football expert Phil Steele has named Stonehouse to his 2025 preseason All-ACC team.