The Orange landed tight end Michael Nnabuife from the Class of 2027. Here's why that's important.
On Wednesday, the Syracuse football program landed a commitment from tight end Michael Nnabuife from the Class of 2027.
Rated as a three-star prospect from Baltimore, Md., Nnabuife is the No. 28 player in Maryland and the No. 53 tight end in the country, as noted by 247 Sports.
He is the first tight end from the Class of 2027 to commit to Syracuse and he told 247 Sports that he chose SU because of how he'll be used in the offense.
His belief in working daily with tight ends coach Michael Johnson sealed the decision.
"I like his years of experience and what he has done with tight ends in the past with Dan Villari and OG (Oronde Gadsden) and the offensive scheme with the tight ends."
Gadsden just completed his rookie year with the Los Angeles Chargers, catching 49 balls for 664 yards and three touchdowns. While Nnabuife didn't say it, it would stand to reason that NFL connections and NFL success is a good selling point for Syracuse as well.
Why this win on the recruiting trail is significant
Nnabuife chose Syracuse over Kentucky, Alabama and Maryland, meaning that Syracuse was able to beat out one of the most prestigious programs in college football history, another program from the SEC and his hometown university - which is also in the Big Ten, another mega conference.
Head coach Fran Brown is known as a good recruiter, and he's had some solid wins on the recruiting trail since arriving before the 2024 season, including landing five-star receiver Calvin Russell for the Class of 2026. But being able to beat out Alabama seems like an important development. Furthermore, being able to beat out programs with more NIL money available seems noteworthy as well.
What are the biggest selling points for Syracuse?
While NIL opportunities get the attention, two things will always be important in college recruiting: Opportunity and relationships.
If Brown's staff can show players that they have a chance to play, contribute and grow, that's a good thing. And if Brown's staff can make personal connections, that helps too, which it seems like Johnson was able to do in this case.
More on SU football
--The Orange will open up the season on Sept. 5 at home against New Hampshire. We'll have constant coverage all season long from the JMA Wireless Dome, so make sure to follow us here.
--In addition to landing Nnabuife, the Orange are also working to land one of New York's top recruits. Our own Tom Goslowski recently covered some of the importance in retaining in-state talent.
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