Syracuse Football: Memphis 3-star LB transfer Elijah Herring will visit the Orange

Memphis junior linebacker Elijah Herring, a three-star transfer prospect who is in the portal and had a strong 2024 season, is planning to visit Syracuse football in the coming days, according to a media report from On3's Pete Nakos.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Herring, who played at Tennessee before heading to American Athletic Conference member Memphis, said via his X page on December 19 that he would enter the transfer portal.

The Tigers, ranked No. 25 in the latest College Football Playoff top-25 ratings, went 11-2 overall in the latest campaign, defeating West Virginia at the Frisco Bowl, 42-37, last month in Frisco, Texas.

As a junior at Memphis, Herring tallied 33 solo tackles, 60 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovered, two interceptions, three quarterback hurries and four pass breakups.

Elijah Herring, a 3-star transfer linebacker, will visit Syracuse football early next week.

When I wrote this article on Friday night, in its national transfer rankings, Rivals.com had Herring as three stars and No. 235 overall. In its national transfer ratings, the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking placed him as three stars, No. 458 nationally and No. 33 at linebacker.

As a prep recruit in the 2022 class, Herring was a three-star prospect and standout at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite, in that cycle, had him at No. 709 overall, No. 71 at linebacker and No. 23 in Tennessee.

Following the completion of the 2024 season, when the Orange went 10-3 overall, senior linebackers Justin Barron and Marlowe Wax Jr., both All-ACC performers, have exhausted their college eligibility.

Linebackers on the 'Cuse 2024 roster who are likely to return next season include redshirt junior Anwar Sparrow, redshirt junior Derek McDonald, redshirt freshman Zyian Moultrie-Goddard, freshman Jahide Lesaine Jr., freshman Caden Brown, freshman Fatim Diggs and freshman Jayden Brown, among others.

Within the Orange's large 2025 recruiting class at the high school level, linebacker commits include three-star Trey Dudley from Virginia and three-star Antoine Deslauriers from Georgia.

So far this off-season, Syracuse football has secured commitments from at least seven college transfers, including the son of 'Cuse first-year head coach Fran Brown. On December 19 of last year, three-star linebacker Fran Brown Jr., a redshirt freshman at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa., said he would transfer to the Orange.