Syracuse football is a finalist for a talented 2026 three-star offensive lineman from the Sunshine State.
Recently, Joel Ervin disclosed his top 10 via his X page. They include the Orange, Kentucky, Florida, Florida State, Southern California, Louisville, Colorado, Miami, UCF and South Carolina.
The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Ervin says on his X page that he plays right tackle, defensive tackle and left tackle. He is a junior at Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, Fla.
I would like to say thank you to each and every coach school that took time out to recruit me. I would also like to thank god for the many blessing he has blessed me with. With that being said here’s my top 10 schools. Where’s home 🏠? @n_parrott478 @ChadSimmons_ @CoachSirianni pic.twitter.com/msPGmYYd6F
— Joel Ervin (@joelervin239) December 28, 2024
As I've noted in various columns lately, the Syracuse football coaching staff has been recruiting the state of Florida hard across several classes, including 2026. And Orange coaches are having recruiting success in the Sunshine State.
Syracuse football resides in the top 10 of 2026 three-star offensive lineman Joel Ervin.
The 'Cuse staff, led by ace recruiter and first-year head coach Fran Brown, offered a scholarship to Ervin on March 20 of 2024, per a post to his X account. Beyond his top 10, Ervin has received offers from schools such as Purdue, South Florida, West Virginia and Florida Atlantic, according to recruiting services.
#AGTG After an great conversation with @drwilliams131 I am extremely blessed to say I have received my 3rd division 1 offer from the university of Syracuse. Go orange 🍊 @AlexKellyCuse @Coach_2CAP @CoachSirianni @CuseFootball @n_parrott478 pic.twitter.com/YJVvArbIdL
— Joel Ervin (@joelervin239) March 20, 2024
When I wrote this article, within the 2026 cycle, On3 ranked Ervin as three stars, the No. 63 interior offensive lineman and the No. 103 prospect coming from Florida.
Go Orange 🍊🍊🍊 @drwilliams131 @Coach_2CAP @AlexKellyCuse @CuseFootball pic.twitter.com/mZf7CkZYmV
— Joel Ervin (@joelervin239) June 19, 2024
To date, Syracuse football has four verbal pledges in its 2026 class, a cycle that checks in at No. 17 around the country, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. Those 2026 verbal commits for the 'Cuse are four-star offensive tackle Javeion Cooper of Melbourne Central Catholic in Melbourne, Fla., 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.
By extension, in the Orange's 2025 class, which has the most signed commits at the high school level nationwide, numerous prospects hail from Florida, headlined by four-star athlete/defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Samuel is a standout at Heritage High School in Palm Bay, Fla. Currently, On3 has him at No. 134 overall, No. 13 at safety and No. 20 in Florida within the 2025 cycle.
Getting back to Ervin, naturally, it's encouraging that Syracuse football is in his top 10, although competition is fierce, with the likes of USC's Lincoln Riley, Colorado's Deion Sanders, Miami's Mario Cristobal and South Carolina's Shane Beamer, among others, vying for this stellar 2026 offensive lineman.