Syracuse landed a commitment from an Empire State recruit as Fran Brown continues to build the program.
On Saturday, Syracuse football landed a verbal commitment from one of the top prospects in New York State.
St. Anthony's High School running back Xavier Bala announced his commitment to Syracuse via social media. The Long Island-based running back is ranked as the No. 4 prospect in New York State, and second overall running back, according to 247 Sports.
Bala posted the following on "X."
"I am blessed and grateful to announce I am committed to @CuseFootball. First and foremost I want to thank my parents for everything they have done to prepare me and support me in this journey. You guys have always kept it real with me and driven me to greatness. Your belief in me never wavers and I know I can always get the job done because of you. I would also like to say thank you to all of the trainers and coaches who have spent countless hours helping develop me, without them I could not accomplish this goal, '
Noah Seigel' @Tilton23@WRCoachVannucci@StAnthonysFB@CoachAJUSA@kayoboxing1@GreenHornetsFB@IronHawks7v7@CoachSalvaa
A special thank you to @MarkMenghi for the graphic below that tells a story of my journey. You has been a great coach and supporter of me the whole way and I appreciate all our conversations. To @kdouglasthemen1@JLSports3 i appreciate all the guidance during this recruiting process, the love is real. Lastly but very importantly, I cant wait to get to work with @FranBrownCuse@CoachDT_Cuse@CoachNixon_Cuse@CoachEMarcCuse and all of the staff at 'Cuse. They have treated me like family and believed in me first, before any other programs did, and they never stopped showing me that love and support. I know you will demand a lot of me and I will be ready for it. "
Scouting Report on Bala
The six-foot tall, 215-pound back ran for 1,312 and 24 touchdowns last season. Bala has run over for over 1,000 yards in each of the last two campaigns. The three-star prospect selected Syracuse over offers from Ohio State, Alabama and Nebraska.
His current high school, St. Anthony's, has had success producing a stand out player recently for the Orange. Current New York Jets defensive back Andre Cisco also played for the Friars.
A two-time All-ACC selection, Cisco played three seasons at Syracuse. In 2018, he was named to the First-Team All-ACC squad, and he won the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year. In 2021, Cisco entered the NFL Draft and was selected in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Class of 2027 so far
The Orange have now landed 11 total verbal commitments for the fall of 2027.
The commitments do not become official Dec. 2026 or Feb. 2027. Players can sign at either signing period deadline.
Could the next commit be another New York state player?
According to 247Sports, the top two New York State prospects in the class of 2027 still remained undecided: Running back Elijah Kimble from Canisius High School in Buffalo and Zahmar Tookes from Rochester.
Kimble seems less likely to sign with the Orange after Bala's commitment, as both play the same position. Tookes' posted on his X account that his most recent visit took place with Nebraska.
Syracuse did land a commitment from the No. 6 prospect in the state, Noah Collins-Howard. Collins-Howard, a wide receiver from Rush Henrietta in Rochester, committed to the Orange just days before Bala.
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