2027 New York offensive lineman has 'great' visit to Syracuse

Since earning a Syracuse offer following his Offensive MVP performance at Franchise Camp, the Orange have been in consistent contact with 2027 offensive lineman James Cocozzo.

He was on hand for SU’s 27-20 win over Connecticut in September, and on Saturday, returned to Central New York for Junior Day.

Cocozzo and a large group of recruits got to take in the basketball team’s win over Notre Dame, and Cocozzo enjoyed being in town like he always has.

"The visit was great,” Cocozzo said. "I learned a lot about the coaches and their program.”

Cocozzo connects with Castillo

Specifically, Cocozzo was referring to his new position coach, Juan Castillo.

Castillo has over 40 years of coaching at the college and NFL levels, and it is a pedigree that Cocozzo immediately latched on it.

"The top highlight for me was when coach Castillo took me out of the Dome and showed me some pass sets,” Cocozzo said to The Juice Online. "Also just talking to him because he has so much knowledge of the game.”

They ended up speaking for a long time about specific offensive line techniques, and Cocozzo plans on implementing it into his game this fall.

"I think he is a great coach,” Cocozzo said. "He has obviously been around and knows everything that there is to know about the offensive line."

Cocozzo hopes he and Syracuse will have better 2026 seasons

The Stillwater (NY) High athlete missed the entire 2025 season because of a torn ACL, but he is on the verge of getting cleared to resume football activities, and will be fully healthy for the fall.

As for the Orange, who went 3-9 last year, Cocozzo is confident that the Orange can turn it around.

He knows that Syracuse has brought in a top recruiting class ranking at No. 34 in the country according to 247Sports, which is the highest SU has ever been ranked in modern history. Fran Brown also revamped his coaching staff, including bringing in Castillo.

"They definitely can do better,” Cocozzo said. "They have great coaches and are putting the pieces together to be a great team.”

Cocozzo has an aggressive style of play

Cocozzo has previously placed Syracuse in the top three in his recruitment, with UMass and Rutgers rounding out the list.

Cocozzo says he enjoys run blocking as an offensive lineman.

Said Cocozzo: "I think it’s because I love violence, contact and just being able to control the person in front of you."

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