Monday Musings: Donnie Freeman to IMG, Football Recruiting & Training Camp Notes

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1. Recruiting Impact of Donnie Freeman to IMG

Syracuse basketball commit Donnie Freeman recently announced he is transferring to IMG Academy for his final year of high school ball. What does this mean for his commitment status with the Orange? It only solidifies the fact that he has a close relationship with the staff. IMG is where Bennie Williams, Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland spent their last year of high school. That tells me that Freeman decided he wanted to up the competition level and further his development to be as ready as possible when he arrives at SU. He likely expressed that desire to the Syracuse coaches, who shared their thoughts based on who they have relationships with and trust with player development. That is, in my view, part of the reason Freeman ended up at IMG. For any Syracuse fans concerned other schools may get involved, or try to, with the move, do not be. He is all Orange.

2. Game Invite Season Has Commenced

With the start of the regular season right around the corner, inviting recruits to attend your home games has already started. Expect Syracuse to be very aggressive in this area, trying to get as many recruits as possible in the stands. In fact, there has already been three such recruits that have tweeted about that. Myles Mitchell (2025 ATH from Illinois), Patrick Enright (2025 two-way lineman from Buffalo, NY) and Andre Jackson (2025 DB from Florida) have already tweeted their invites to attend a game this season. Expect to see many more in the coming weeks, though the season opener against Colgate may be a bit lighter than other games.

3. Syracuse Football's Recruiting Focus

Note that of the three prospects that have tweeted game invites they are all class of 2025 prospects. That is the primary focus for the Orange on the recruiting trail as its 2024 class is nearly full. There are only a handful of slots left, at best, but more likely about three or so. Having such a strong summer allows the staff to put more resources into 2025 recruiting, which should be dividends for that cycle. That is not to say they are ignoring 2024, not in the slightest. You will see, however, more activity with the 2025 class in terms of offers, visits, etc.

4. Note on Recent Offeree

Recently offered 2025 defensive tackle Delaney Fludd out of Bergen Catholic in New Jersey says he has been wanting an offer from Syracuse for a really long time. The reason? He says he likes a lot of players that have come from Syracuse. Specifically, he mentioned Rob Burnett. Burnett is a former defensive lineman from New Jersey who played at Syracuse in the late 1980s and played 14 seasons in the NFL, including winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. I find it interesting that Burnett is one specifically mentioned by Fludd considering Burnett's playing days were before Fludd was born. I hope to have more on Fludd this week.

5. Training Camp Notes

Carlos Del Rio-Wilson is definitively entrenched as the backup. He won the job early in camp and has been taking a vast majority of the reps with the twos.

J'Onre Reed has been coming on lately in camp as he gets more comfortable. He has a real shot to win the starting center job. If he does, it is possible Josh Ilaoa earns a starting guard spot over Kalan Ellis. There is a lot in flux there.

The running back room has a lot of options, but true freshman Ike Daniels has been having a strong camp. Do not be surprised if he earns carries this season.

The Syracuse defense has looked deep and talented for much of camp. Despite losing multiple starting defensive backs from last season, the Orange likes its secondary this year. The linebackers are versatile and athletic. The defensive line has been a pleasant surprise. The main concern is health all around. If they can stay healthy, it is as deep a roster as Dino Babers has had.