The recruiting battle over Syracuse football priority target Calvin Russell lll from the Sunshine State will be over in less than a week. Sort of.
The 2026 five-star wide receiver, who has the Orange in his final eight, will make his commitment announcement on Saturday, July 5, although numerous national analysts have noted that whichever program prevails for the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Russell should expect other suitors to continue to recruit him until Russell officially puts pen to paper during the early or traditional signing period.
Russell's top eight, for context, consists of Syracuse football, Miami, Oregon, Michigan, Florida State, Florida, LSU and North Carolina. When I wrote this column on Sunday, one prediction was in LSU's direction on the On3 Web site, while Michigan had one projection in its favor on Rivals.com. I'm not seeing anything to date on the 247Sports Web site.
Does this make the Tigers and the Wolverines the two front-runners for Russell, who is a top-25 national prospect per 247Sports? Hardly.
I say this because in recent days, as Russell's commitment announcement inches closer, I've read a bunch of articles on his recruiting process. And I came away with only one conclusion: it's a complete mixed bag as to which way Russell is leaning.
Does Syracuse football have a shot to land 2026 five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll?
Rivals.com national analyst John Garcia Jr. recently wrote that "The two-sport star could be leaning towards a smaller group of LSU, Michigan, Florida State and Miami ahead of a July 5 commitment. Buzz at Oregon, Florida and Syracuse has slowed down some of late, but there is still the sense that this battle is far from over despite a commitment date closing in fast."
A standout at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Russell does reportedly hold a scholarship offer from both the Syracuse football and basketball programs, according to his Instagram page.
Other reports of late suggest that Michigan is trending for him, and his decision could come down to the Wolverines or the 'Cuse. But then again, other reports suggest that Syracuse football isn't in his final, final group, which could include Florida State, Michigan and Oregon.
I've also read that Russell's unofficial final four could be Syracuse football, Michigan, Florida State and Miami - or, LSU, Miami, Michigan and the Orange. By extension, his final four could also be Florida State, LSU, Michigan and Miami. I've also read suitors in his top eight, such as Florida, UNC and the Orange, may be losing steam with Russell.
Lol. My head is spinning.
Candidly, I have no idea where Calvin will end up. I still believe Syracuse football is a contender for him, and even if Russell picks another school in his top eight this coming Saturday, the 'Cuse coaching staff will likely continue to pursue him and try to get him on the Hill for an official visit this fall.