Syracuse football coaches were welcoming various 2026 verbal commits and recruiting targets to the Hill on official visits this weekend, something that the Orange staff is expected to do over the next few weekends.
However, according to media reports and posts on X, several four-star targets who initially were thought to be visiting the 'Cuse this weekend didn't end up doing so.
No biggie. Recruiting is a fluid thing.
Led by head coach Fran Brown, Syracuse football has crushed it on the recruiting trail so far in the 2026 cycle, landing at least 16 verbal pledges in a class that is No. 15 around the country, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
Plus, the Orange has a great shot at landing additional top-flight rising seniors as they take their official visits to Central New York between now and mid-June.
A couple of 2026 4-stars didn't end up visiting Syracuse football this weekend.
Four-star defensive lineman and top-15 national prospect James Johnson of Miami Northwestern Senior High School was slated to officially visit the Orange this weekend, according to reports and recruiting services.
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Johnson has the 'Cuse in his top 10, and he did reportedly visit Syracuse football earlier this year amid spring practices. Let's see if he reschedules an official visit to the Orange.
Johnson, per reports and his X page, ending up taking a trip to Georgia this weekend. The chatter among some recruiting analysts is that the two potential favorites to prevail for him include Georgia and an in-state suitor, the Miami Hurricanes.
Per an article from top 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister, two other recruits who were originally planning to officially visit this weekend but then weren't expected to travel to the 'Cuse were four-star defensive back Hakim Satterwhite as well as four-star defensive back/athlete and top-100 national prospect Andre Clarke Jr.
The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Satterwhite, out of the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, has Syracuse football in his top 10 and is eyeing a commitment announcement on July 9.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Clarke, a standout at the Hermitage High School in Henrico, Va., listed a top eight earlier this spring that included the Orange. Similar to Johnson, I hope that both Satterwhite and Clarke still take official visits to Syracuse football in the future.
That's something I will, of course, continue to monitor.