Syracuse football scores pledge from 4-star offensive tackle, a top-200 national prospect

One of the top offensive tackles nationwide in the 2026 class has verbally pledged to Syracuse football.

According to social media posts, recruiting services and media reports on Tuesday, the Orange has secured a verbal commitment from 2026 four-star offensive tackle Javeion Cooper, who plays high school football in Florida, as first-year head coach Fran Brown and his top-flight staff continue to fare well on the recruiting front in the Sunshine State.

First and foremost, a huge congrats and welcome from 'Cuse Nation to Javeion, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound junior at Melbourne Central Catholic in Melbourne, Fla.

The Orange coaching staff offered a scholarship to Cooper on February 17 of this year, per his X page. According to recruiting services, his full offer sheet also includes schools such as Florida State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, UCF and West Virginia.

Syracuse football has added to its 2026 cycle with a big-time pledge.

Per multiple reports, Cooper was in attendance late last month at the JMA Wireless Dome as the Orange mounted an epic comeback to knock off then-No. 6 Miami.

He said in part to 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister, "I picked them because I just love the commitment that all the players have. Just I feel like coach Fran is a coach I need to be under."

Cooper echoed those sentiments when he told On3 director of recruiting Chad Simmons, "I like coach Fran because he’s a hard-working man and he wants you to be the best at what you want to be,” Cooper said. “Whatever you want to do, even if it’s not football, he wants you to succeed and continue to do great as you get older and have children. I love how he coaches there. I feel like that’s where I want to be."

Currently, Cooper's highest 2026 rankings come via On3, where he is No. 181 overall, No. 16 at offensive tackle and No. 28 in Florida.

To date, Syracuse football coaches have landed four verbal commitments in their 2026 class. Those pledges are from Cooper, three-star athlete/linebacker Maurice Medley of the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, three-star athlete/defensive back Jaxson Gates of Damien High School in La Verne, Calif., and three-star running back D'Antae Sheffey of Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Pa.

At the time of this writing, the Orange's 2026 cycle arrived in the top 30 around the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking and Rivals.com.