This upgrade to the defensive backfield is drawing national praise.
Syracuse football coach Fran Brown is receiving national praise for another home run on the recruiting trail.
On Tuesday, safety Jalen Welch announced his commitment to the Orange on social media. ESPN's Pete Thamel called this a 'big get,' and said that Welch is 'viewed internally as one of the top players they've recruited in Fran Brown's tenure.'
A safety out of Loganville, Ga., Welch also had offers from Boston College, North Carolina and West Virginia. He's headed into his senior season of high school and will be eligible to play for the Orange in the fall of 2027. On3 has him listed as a three-star recruit and also had him getting offers from Iowa State and Virginia Tech.
Brown strikes again
Just the other day, the Orange received commitments from Safety Matthew Schlenhardt and wide receiver Josh Barr committed, as noted by our own Jami Leabow.
A prolific recruiter, Brown has done excellent work to help bring talent to Central New York. This past offseason, he was able to bring in talented wide receiver Calvin Russell III, who is one of the highest-rated recruits in program history. Russell is expected to play as a freshman this season, though he is recovering from a torn Achilles suffered during spring practice. He might not be available until late October or November.
Commerce's Jaiden Daniels (6) drives away from Athens Academy's Jalen Welch (20) during a GHSA high school football game against Commerce in Commerce, Ga., on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesLooking ahead for the Orange in 2026
Before we can start worrying about the Orange in 2027, there's a 2026 season to play. Syracuse is coming off a 3-9 campaign in 2025, but things are looking up this season. SU will get a better bill of health with quarterback Steve Angeli returning from a torn Achilles, and there are experienced options behind him, including Amari Odom and Malachi Nelson, who have both transferred in.
Furthermore, Brown used his recruiting expertise to help land an exciting group of non-QBs in the transfer portal. One of them has already received from offseason adulation from college football insider Phil Steele.
Elsewhere in the news for the Orange
As noted by our own Tom Goslowski, the SU alumni team "Boeheim's Army" has added former All-American Wes Johnson to its roster for the TBT Tournament. The nine-year NBA veteran has never played in the TBT, but he will work to help SU win the $2 million prize.
The event kicks off on July 21 with Syracuse's alumni team taking on the Seton Hall alums in a best-of-three series.
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