2023-24 Recruiting Tracker: 4-star cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr. commits to Syracuse
Support The Daily Orange this holiday season! The money raised between now and the end of the year will go directly toward aiding our students. Donate today.
Jan. 6
Four-star cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr. has committed to Syracuse. Barnes, originally from Chattanooga (Ten.), picked the Orange over other finalists including Georgia and Ole Miss. He made the announcement on Saturday during the first quarter of the All-American Bowl.
Following Fran Brown’s introductory press conference, Barnes made an official visit to SU. He is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound defensive back that was the 192nd best prospect according to On3 Sports. Brown continues to show his ability to recruit talented players to SU. The first year head coach has gained a number of transfers as well as four-star recruit KingJoseph Edwards.
Along with the Bulldogs and the Rebels, Barnes held offers from Baylor, Florida State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest.
Dec. 20
Three-star defensive lineman Maraad Watson has committed to Syracuse, he announced on X, flipping his original commitment from Kent State. He took an official visit to Syracuse on Dec. 8 and also took an official visit to Tennessee, choosing SU over the Volunteers, Nebraska and Rutgers once he re-opened his commitment.
As a three-star defensive lineman out of Irvington (NJ) High School, Watson received 11 offers, including from Syracuse, Kent State and Akron. He’s rated as the No. 12 recruit out of New Jersey and is the No. 92 defensive lineman in the class of 2024. He visited Syracuse alongside his teammate and fellow SU recruit Jahide Lesaine.
Dec. 19
Four-star edge rusher KingJoseph Edwards announced on Instagram Live he has committed to Syracuse. The 6-foot-4 recruit out of Mill Creek (GA) High School is the No. 22 edge rusher in the class of 2024, according to 247Sports. He ranks No. 35 overall in the state of Georgia.
Edwards had 35 offers and ultimately chose Syracuse over finalists Florida State and Colorado. On Instagram Live Tuesday night, Edwards dawned an orange Syracuse hat to make it official.
Edwards made his relationship with both head coach Fran Brown and defensive assistant Nick Williams clear over social media. Brown was Georgia’s defensive backs coach for the past two seasons, and they developed a relationship during that time. Brown has landed a string of four-star recruits since taking over as head coach three weeks ago, and Edwards is the latest.
Dec. 18
Three-star linebacker Fatim Diggs announced on X that he is committing to Syracuse. He took an official visit to SU this weekend and became the 18th recruit to commit to the Orange and the sixth since first-year head coach Fran Brown took over the program.
Diggs, a Camden, NJ, native, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 51 overall player from the state and the No. 229 linebacker in the 2024 recruiting class. While he was originally offered by former head coach Dino Babers in May of 2022, talks reportedly cooled this season. Brown, who is also from Camden, NJ, moved to hold Diggs’ offer.
Diggs chose Syracuse over six other offers, including from Boston College, Maryland, Ole Miss and Penn State. During his senior year at Eastside (NJ) High School, Diggs had 110 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
Dec. 17
Three-star edge rusher Caden Brown announced on X that he is committing to Syracuse as a part of its 2024 recruiting class. Brown is a Brooklyn, NY, native, who played four years at Erasmus Hall High School. Per 247Sports, Brown is the No. 4 overall prospect in New York for his class and the No. 46 ranked edge rusher in the country.
Brown chose SU over programs like Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan State, Washington, Nebraska, Pitt, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Boston College, Cincinnati and others. His father, Alban Brown, played at Syracuse from 1987-89.
Brown stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds, set to bring athleticism to Syracuse as a pass rusher. First-year SU head coach Fran Brown continues to get results out of his northeast recruiting efforts with this latest commitment from the region.
Dec. 13
The Orange nabbed their fourth commit under Brown Wednesday when Emanuel Ross, a four-star receiver from Red Bank Catholic (NJ) High School, announced on X that he will be attending Syracuse. Ross is SU’s second four-star recruit in the class of 2024 and is rated as the Orange’s highest commit as of Dec. 13. He’s ranked by 247Sports as the No. 7 prospect in New Jersey and the No. 82 receiver in the country.
Ross had originally committed to Stanford but visited Syracuse over the weekend and flipped his commitment. He had 20 total offers, 15 of which were from Power 5 schools including Florida State, Penn State, Texas A&M and West Virginia.
Dec. 10
Fran Brown earned his first commitment as Syracuse’s head coach, as three-star wide receiver Jaylan Hornsby announced on X that he has committed to Syracuse. Hornsby, rated by 247Sports as the 10th-best recruit out of New Jersey, was originally projected to attend Texas A&M. SU’s new defensive coordinator, Elijah Robinson, recruited Hornsby to the Aggies and now follows him to the Orange.
Hornsby is the first recruit to officially sign with Syracuse under first-year head coach Fran Brown. The 6-foot-2 receiver attended Winslow Township (NJ) High School and visited SU’s campus on an official visit on Dec. 9.
Hornsby, who also played basketball in high school, finished his senior season with 22 receptions for 420 yards and eight touchdowns. He had received 17 offers, 15 of which came from Power Five schools, including Michigan, Penn State, Georgia, Notre Dame and Oregon.
Brown gained his second commitment as head coach the evening of Dec. 10. Three-star running back Yasin Willis announced on Instagram he has changed his commitment from Pittsburgh to Syracuse. Willis, the No. 1 recruit out of New Jersey, also had an official visit to Syracuse this weekend and is rated as the No. 191 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class.
Through eight games this season at St. Joseph Regional (NJ) High School, he totaled 682 yards on 129 carries while scoring 12 touchdowns. Willis also tallied 13 receptions for 196 yards. He flipped to Syracuse after committing to Pittsburgh in July over offers from Alabama, Michigan, Penn State and Boston College, among others.
Syracuse’s third commitment of the night following a weekend of official on-campus visits came from Jahide Lesaine, who flipped his commitment from Kent State. Lesaine, a three-star defensive end from New Jersey, was not originally recruited by Syracuse, according to 247Sports.
He had offers from six schools, including Ole Miss and Pittsburgh. Lesaine attended Immaculate Conception (NJ) High School and is rated as the No. 52 recruit out of New Jersey in the class of 2024, according to 247Sports.
