Monday Musings: Syracuse Basketball & Football Recruiting Notes

The next six weeks are going to tell the tale of Syracuse basketball's and football's 2022 recruiting class. Each will have top priority targets on campus for official visits. Here are the latest news and notes for both basketball and football with June fast approaching.

1. Justin Taylor

Justin Taylor is one of Syracuse's top targets in the 2022 class. He had a strong performance over the weekend at the Hoop Group Southern JamFest event. He helped lead Team Takeover to the title game, where they fell to Team Final. Taylor scored 20 points in the title game, and had a game on Saturday where he hit five three pointers in the first half alone. You can watch some highlights of him from the event in the embedded tweet below.

He spoke with SI All-American's Jason Jordan after the event and mentioned staying patient. That seemed to suggest he could be a ways away from a decision. However, I still have not heard anything to suggest his time line of taking officials next month and deciding after that (late June or sometime in July) has changed. I still think that is the best bet right now.

Justin Taylor filled it up all weekend at Southern Jam Fest, helping Team Takeover to a runner-up finish. There’s something new to his game every time I watch him. He has visits set up with Virginia Tech, UNC, Syracuse, and Indiana during the first 3 weeks of June.@jctbball12 pic.twitter.com/wZ866EGO0G
— Trent Markwith (@TMarkwith14) May 24, 2021

2. Early Favorite for Top QB Target in 2023 Class

Chris Parson surprised me when I interviewed him about his offer from Syracuse. Usually the comments you get are pretty similar. Liking the offer, excited to learn more about the program, etc. Parson, however, noted that he had been doing a lot of research about Syracuse on his own. Well before the Orange started recruiting him and offered. The reason? Parson wants to be a communications major, and Syracuse just so happens to have the best communications program in the nation. That should give Syracuse a real shot in his recruitment. He already mentioned that he and primary recruiter Vince Reynolds clicked right away. Parson is likely to be a national recruit. He already has an offer from each of the power five conferences. Do not be surprised if he ends up as Syracuse's top quarterback target next cycle.

3. June Visitor Lists

We know Syracuse football has more than a dozen players scheduled to officially visit next month. However, do not expect those lists to stay as is. Expect several more to be added over the next week or two. One name to watch is 2022 QB Henry Belin. I know Syracuse wants him to visit next month and he wants to get one scheduled as well. Nothing has been yet, but he says it will likely be one of the last two weekends in June (18th or 25th). Another would be Tyler Johnson, a 2022 WR from Magna Vista High in Virginia. Working on confirming whether or not he will visit next month.

4. Jacolby Spells

Syracuse speaks with Jacolby Spells on a daily basis. Miami is going to be tough to beat, but Syracuse has developed a strong relationship with Spells through primary recruiter Nick Monroe. It would not be a surprise if Miami tries to squeeze a commitment before he takes his other visits, including Syracuse. However, Syracuse has to feel good about its relationship if Spells makes it to the official visit. While many assume Miami is a heavy favorite, make no mistake. Syracuse is in the thick of it and has a real shot.

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