The No. 1 ranked New York football prospect announced his decision on Friday evening.
On June 16, highly-touted New York State football recruit Elijah Kimble announced on X that he would announce his college commitment on July 3.
Well, as promised, after nearly three weeks of speculation, Kimble made his announcement Friday night.
The Canisius High School (Buffalo) running back is the number one ranked recruit in New York State high school football for the Class of 2027.
What school did Elijah Kimble commit to?
Kimble made the announcement in the Canisius High School gymnasium.
Surrounded by friends and family, Kimble announced his intentions to play at Syracuse.
He also held offers from Indiana, Arizona State and North Carolina.
Syracuse's recruiting efforts to land Kimble
Nicknamed "The Ticket," Kimble has been on Syracuse football's radar since the start of the year. In three seasons playing high school football in Western New York, the three-star recruit has rushed for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, along with having nearly a nine yards per carry average.
Kimble took an official visit to Syracuse in late May and posted this message on X
"Cuse nation how we feeling?!"
Running backs de-committing and committing because of Kimble?
It is possible that the focus on Kimble has become stronger over the past month because of recent news involving two now-former Syracuse running back recruits and one recent signeee.
Xavier Bala, a running back from St. Anthony's in Long Island committed to the Orange in early May. One month later, Bala flipped his decision and announced his intentions to sign with Boston College.
Since January, running back Sa'Nir Brooks had been a commitment to Syracuse. Brooks was one of the earliest commitments that head coach Fran Brown had received for the Class of 2027.
However Brooks took to X on June 9 to announce he had re-opened his recruiting process and would not sign with Syracuse. Brooks has received offers from North Carolina and Delaware since de-committing from the Orange
With two running backs decommitting, that opened a spot for Louisiana High School running back Tyleek Lewis. Lewis committed to Syracuse earlier this week. The three- star prospect chose the Orange over offers from Arkansas and Arizona.
What's next for Kimble?
The newly committed running back will now play one more season at Canisius High School this fall. Once Kimble's senior season concludes he can officially sign with Syracuse on one of the two signings days. Players in the Class of 2027 have an early signing day on Dec. 2, 2026. Players are also given a second deadline of Feb. 3, 2027 to make their decision official.
Where does Syracuse's Class of 2027 now stand?
After Kimble's decision Syracuse football now has 24 recruits for the Class of 2027. That class ranks 35th nationally according to 247Sports.
As for the Orange in 2026?
Syracuse will open its season on Sept. 5 against New Hampshire at the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange went 3-9 last season, and are hoping to be a contender for an ACC championship this fall.
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our SYRACUSE on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Orange fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
