Elite 2028 New York OL Dilen Mulaj reflects on ‘great' Syracuse offer

2028 New Rochelle (NY) Iona Prep offensive lineman Dilen Mulaj is one of the top recruits in his class.

Rated four stars by 247Sports, he holds more than a dozen offers, including Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Minnesota.

One of the first schools to show interest in him was Syracuse, and the Orange have continued to recruit Mulaj hard since extending his first offer to him back in Sept. 2025.

"When Syracuse offered, it felt great,” Mulaj said to The Juice Online. "They were the first school to offer me, and they had shown interest in me since before the season. I always knew they were recruiting me, but once they offered, it felt great.”

Mulaj talks Syracuse offer

Syracuse was also one of the first schools that Mulaj got to see up close and personal.

He was in Central New York in April 2025 for spring practice and got to meet the coaching staff, tour campus, and see the facilities.

"I really liked the Syracuse campus,” Mulaj said. "It had a great atmosphere, and I liked how everything felt connected and easy to get around.

“The facilities were really impressive, and I liked the overall energy around the football program and the school. Everyone I met was welcoming, and the campus had a good feel to it. I definitely enjoyed my time there and could see myself being comfortable in that environment.”

When he was on campus, the Syracuse coaches and staff discussed how they could develop him into a top offensive lineman in the ACC and also what to expect from the recruiting process.

He also heard Fran Brown’s vision for the program.

"I think Syracuse is a program that is on the come up,” Mulaj said. "It may take some time, but I think there will come a point when Syracuse will be competing with anyone in the country.”

Syracuse has continued to recruit Mulaj hard

Syracuse has been in his ear ever since.

"The contact with Syracuse since they offered has been good,” Mulaj said. "Lately, they have been contacting me a lot and showing a lot of interest.”

Another pitch they’ve made to Mulaj is keeping New York’s best talent at home. In the 2027 class, the No. 1 recruit in New York is running back Elijah Kimble, who committed to the Orange earlier in the year.

"I like that coach Brown has made it a point to keep the best players in New York,” Mulaj said. "I think it would be nice to play with people I know, especially since we would all be coming from the same state.”

Despite the heavy interest from multiple schools, Mulaj is taking his time with his recruitment.

"As of right now, there is no school standing out to me,” Mulaj said. "I am just focused on this season, and after that, I will start narrowing down the schools and seeing which ones stand out to me.”

Iona Prep is coming off an 11-1 season, and is widely considered to be one of New York’s elite programs.

Mulaj blocked for an offensive line that averaged more than 41 points per game.

"I am a traditional O-lineman,” he said. "I love my QBs, and I love run blocking. Opening up holes and seeing a big play happen because of that is a great feeling, and it fuels me to be great every time."

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