Syracuse Priority Target Confidential: CB Jacolby Spells

An inside look at the recruitment of one of Syracuse football's top targets.

Syracuse has prioritized Jacolby Spells as long as anyone, and has recruited him as hard as anyone. Will that be enough to hold off other suitors? Here is the latest on Spells, what type of player he is, where Syracuse stands within his recruitment, official visit schedule, decision time frame and why he is an important target for the Orange's 2022 class. 

Player: Jacolby Spells

Position: Cornerback

School: American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Height/Weight: 5-11, 170 pounds

Other Notable Offers: Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia. 

Official Visits Scheduled: West Virginia (June 4th), Miami (June 11th), Indiana (June 18th), Syracuse (June 25th).

Scouting Report: Spells is a speedy, smooth athlete with elite ball skills for a defensive back. He is a former wide receiver who transitioned to the defensive side of the ball, which helped with route recognition and ability to high point the ball. Has long range speed to run with receivers down field, and short range quickness to react and make a play on a pass. He is clean in his backpedal, has smooth hips and changes direction well without losing speed. The biggest area of development for Spells is getting stronger. That will happen naturally with a collegiate strength and conditioning program. 

Recruitment: Syracuse is slated to get the last official visit for Spells, who will decide after take his visits next month. Florida offered on Tuesday and could jump into the mix. Especially if they are able to get an official visit scheduled. Syracuse has prioritized Spells for quite some time and the staff has a good relationship with him and his mom. One of Spells former teammates signed with Syracuse in 2021 (wide receiver Oronde Gadsden) and a current teammate is committed to Syracuse's 2022 class (defensive lineman Belizaire Bassette). That certainly helps Syracuse. Indiana and West Virginia are threats. Both are recruiting him hard. However, Miami is the team Syracuse fans should fear the most. Spells will take an unofficial on June 1st and an official on the 11th. Will Miami try to squeeze a commitment before he visits Syracuse? If they do, does Spells resist and take the rest of his visits? Or does he give a verbal and cancel the rest of the schedule? It all remains to be seen, but Miami certainly has some buzz with him. Still, Syracuse is firmly in the mix. The official visits will tell the tale. 

Why Spells is Important: Do you want to make a statement to Syracuse fans and the national recruiting landscape? Land a player like Spells with two big in-state offers and offers from elite programs in every power five conference. Not only would Spells bring a tremendous talent to the Syracuse secondary, but his commitment would certainly send a message. It would also have a big impact on the rest of the 2022 cycle, as other top targets would take a closer look at Syracuse as a result.