Syracuse football priority 4-star WR recruit Calvin Russell in town for spring game

According to various media reports and comments from recruiting analysts, numerous Syracuse football commits and targets across various classes are on the Hill this weekend to check out the Orange's annual spring game, which takes place on Saturday starting at 3:00 pm at the JMA Wireless Dome.

One of those in attendance, per his Instagram page, will be 2026 four-star wide receiver and top-20 national prospect Calvin Russell lll, who helped lead his powerhouse high school program to a state title in Florida during the 2024 season.

Undeniably, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Russell is one of the top targets for the 'Cuse staff in the high school junior cycle. He's said on his Instagram page that he also holds a scholarship offer from the Syracuse basketball squad.

Not too long ago, Russell disclosed a top 12 that includes the Orange, Michigan, North Carolina, Miami, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Florida State, Oregon, Alabama and Southern California.

In early March, according to a post on X from On3 director of recruiting Chad Simmons, Syracuse football is one of at least five schools expected to land an official visit from Russell, along with Miami, Florida State, Georgia and Florida.

Syracuse football is recruiting 2026 four-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll extremely hard.

Additionally, in recent months, multiple top national analysts have stated that the 'Cuse has a strong buzz in Russell's recruitment. The elite wide receiver, in various interviews, has spoken highly of the Orange program and its head coach, ace recruiter Fran Brown.

While I'm not seeing any official predictions from analysts on recruiting Web sites, fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Miami, a hometown team for Russell, appears to be a strong contender as well for him. Late last month, for example, Rivals.com national recruiting director Adam Gorney projected that Russell would ultimately pick Miami.

As a junior in the 2024 campaign, Russell and his teammates at Miami Northwestern Senior High School won the Florida High School Athletic Association ("FHSAA") 3A state championship.

Several Syracuse football 2025 three-star signees went to Miami Northwestern, and the Orange staff is in pursuit of numerous four-star recruits in other classes who attend this juggernaut program, including Russell.

When I wrote this piece on Saturday morning, both the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, within the 2026 cycle, placed Russell in the top 50 nationally.

Currently, his highest national rankings come via 247Sports, at No. 18 overall. Multiple recruiting services deem Russell a top-five wide receiver and a top-five prospect hailing from talent-rich Florida within his class.

I hope that Calvin has a wonderful experience on Saturday at the Syracuse football spring game.