Syracuse recruits shine in Western Pennsylvania matchup

On Aug. 29, Central Catholic defeated Pine-Richland, 34-20, at Carnegie Mellon’s Gesling Stadium. The game contained many P4 commits on both sides, including a battle of quarterbacks with offers from Syracuse.

Here's a read out of each Syracuse recruit's performance in the opener.

Pine-Richland QB Aaron Strader Jr.

Despite the loss, Aaron "Oobi" Strader put on a performance and showed why he is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation. Strader was all over the field both running and throwing the ball.

You are on your own 45 yard line? Strader can run it in from there. You are on the opponent's 40? Well, Strader can beat you for a touchdown in the air from there.

Syracuse was very early in Strader's recruitment and would be an excellent addition to the Syracuse QB room.

Central Catholic ATH Chrys Black Jr.

How about starting off the premier western Pennsylvania high school game, being broadcasted on the CW and being played in front of a college sized crowd, with a kickoff return? Well that's what Chrys Black Jr. did and never looked back.

If speed kills, I would not want to see Black in front of me. Slippery, shifty, speedy... you chose the adjective and it fits.

Black was offered by Syracuse before he even entered high school, and will be an asset in whatever way a P4 school chooses to use him.

Central Catholic ATH Roman Thompson

Roman Thompson lined up at linebacker and running back during the game, and was a presence throughout the night. I went into the night expecting to see Thompson dominate on defense, but then he ran for 130 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Thompson is a top wrestler and incredibly strong for a 2027 prospect. Syracuse had Thompson on campus in June, and I would expect his recruitment to heat up.

Central Catholic ATH Zachary Gleason Jr.

Zachary Gleason Jr. was put on the field and expected to lock down Jay Timmons (FSU commit) and Khalil Taylor (Penn State commit). Simply put, Gleason got the job done.

Gleason is a physical corner, who does not appear scared to be left on an island with P4 players. Gleason was offered by Syracuse in January, and would be a major addition to the Syracuse secondary that head coach Fran Brown and assistant coach Nitron Stork are building.

Central Catholic QB Owen Herrick

I would imagine it is pretty rare to see a high school game with two different quarterbacks with offers from Syracuse squaring off, but that is what occurred in this game. Herrick is only in the class of 2028, but received an offer from Syracuse this past June.

Herrick was calm and composed all night, showing an awareness in the pocket that very few his age seem to show. Herrick stepped up, made throws, went through progressions, and was confident in his teammates until victory was complete.

To be a pocket quarterback at the 6A level in Pennsylvania as a sophomore shows his maturity on the field surpasses many of his peers. Syracuse was smart to jump into his recruitment early, and Herrick will be a fun prospect to monitor.

SUPPORT THE JUICE ONLINE

Got a Syracuse recruiting tip? E-mail Recruiting Analyst Charles Kang here.