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West Virginia Transfer Linebacker James Heard Commits to Syracuse

The Orange lands one of the best pass rushers in the transfer portal.
Mike McAllister|
West Virginia Transfer Linebacker James Heard Commits to Syracuse
West Virginia Transfer Linebacker James Heard Commits to Syracuse

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Syracuse Orange

Syracuse football had landed yet another high profile transfer after an official visit. James Heard, a linebacker transfer from West Virginia, announced his commitment to the Orange. He has four years of eligibility remaining and is listed at 6-2, 230 pounds. 

Heard was a class of 2023 four star (per Rivals) prospect who signed with the Mountaineers out of Camden High in New Jersey where he recorded 18 sacks in just nine games during his senior season. He chose WVU over offers from Boston College, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech and others. 

West Virginia thought very highly of Heard and reports were that they did not want him to leave. In fact, during training camp for the 2023 season, Mountaineers’ defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley praised his potential.

“Exactly why you go recruit a guy like that,” Lesley said. “He’s exactly what we thought he was. He’s one of our best natural pass rushers, just has a knack. He’s a lot savvier than you think he would be as early in his career in coverage. I mean, he had a pick today on a tipped ball and really just off reaction. He’s going to be a really, really, really good player for us.”

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Mike McAllister
MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting.  EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans.  After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years.  Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports.  Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College. 

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