Why did 2027 RB Xavier Bala commit to Syracuse?

The three-star prospect committed to Syracuse earlier in the month, and discuses it on the Juice on the Cuse Podcast.

Xavier Bala is committed to Syracuse | Commitment Graphic by Josh Wong Design | Photo Courtesy of Xavier Bala

Earlier in May, Syracuse landed a commitment from 2027 running back Xavier Bala. The Melville (NY) St. Anthony's three-star prospect committed to the Orange over finalists Virginia, Wake Forest and Boston College.

Bala, who will be back in June for an OV, joined us on the Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by Bleav and On SI, to explain his decision.

Bala discusses why he picked Syracuse

A huge reason for the commitment was head coach Fran Brown. Since he arrived on campus two seasons ago, Brown has been adamant about keeping New York’s best talent at home. Bala is the No. 4 prospect in the state according to 247Sports. Bala also discussed his relationship with running backs coach Dennis Thomas.

“I really like what coach Fran's building. I like their vision for me specifically. I like coach DT and I got to build a good relationship with him. And just the way that they were my first offer, and were consistent in recruiting me this whole time. It just shows that they saw my potential early, and they knew the player I was going to become, they never stopped recruiting me. They never recruited me lighter. It’s just been going up from building my relationship from the beginning till now. So that's the reason I chose them.”

The staff was excited when he announced his decision.

“I didn't want the other coaches to tell coach Fran, so I told them to keep it quiet, because I want to be the one to tell coach Fran. But they were really excited, because they were trying to get me for a long time.”

Bala is one of New York's top prospects

During his junior season at St Anthony's, Bala amassed 1,411 rush yards and 26 scores, while also adding 10 receptions for 82 receiving yards. He’s looking forward to bringing that level of talent to the Orange.

“I would say I'm a balanced running back. I could do it all, but I think I'm going to wear teams down. I'm big, I'm fast, strong, I could play any type of way. I could run through someone, I could shift someone, I could run past someone. So any way you need me to play, I could play. I could catch. I could block.”

Syracuse’s recruiting class is currently ranked 19th in the the country, and Bala is one of 12 current commits in the class. He had the following message to deliver to Syracuse fans.

“You're going to get a hard worker, and I'm going to help you guys win the ACC championship.”

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