Syracuse Recruiting Reaction: 3 Visitors Break Down Cal Game Visit

TJ Maddox, Julian Corry, and Shane Sullivan praise the game day environment and coaching staff following visits for the ACC opener.

Shane Sullivan | Courtesy: Shane Sullivan

Syracuse dropped its 2026 ACC opener against Cal on Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome.

More than a dozen recruits were on hand to watch the game, and we caught up with three of them to hear about their visit experiences.

2028 ATH TJ Maddox

Syracuse was one of the first schools to offer the Richland (NJ) St. Augustine Prep prospect in 2024.

Since then, the Garden State wide receiver/defensive back piled on offers from schools like Boston College, UNC, Penn State, Rutgers, and Washington, among others.

"The visit was great overall," Maddox said. "Everyone made me feel welcome it was a great experience."

It was Maddox's first time meeting several of SU's new defensive coaches, including defensive backs coach Perry Eliano.

"I spoke with coach Eliano about how the defense did," Maddox said. "And about my development on the next level and what my next steps will look like."

2028 ATH Julian Corry

Syracuse was the first offer for the Burlington (NJ) City High two-sport athlete.

Corry is an intriguing prospect, standing at 6 foot 8 and 205 pounds, and he's gotten looks as a basketball player as well from college programs.

Saturday's game was Corry's first look at the Syracuse campus.

"Visit went great," Corry said. "It made me look at Syracuse even higher than I already did."

One of the biggest impressions the visit made on him was seeing a game day atmosphere inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

"The fans were into it," Corry said. "I definitely can see myself playing in that atmosphere in the future."

2028 LS Shane Sullivan

Sullivan got his first look at Syracuse in June for Franchise Camp, where he won the snapping competition.

He got his first look at Central New York for a game day experience, and enjoyed his time.

"I definitely enjoyed the experience," Sullivan said. "Being able to come back to Syracuse for a second time at a different time of year and see more of the campus was a great experience."

Sullivan got to see how the SU community interacts with the football team.

"The visit most impacted my understanding of how important Syracuse football is to the city," Sullivan said. "The pregame celebration the massive crowd and overall atmosphere really showed a lot about what the team stands for and means to the city."

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