2028 ATH Zion Green 'excited' for first offer from Syracuse

2028 ATH Zion Green hit a major milestone in his football career in August when he received his first collegiate offer from Syracuse.

For the Jacksonville (FL) Raines High defensive back and wide receiver, it was a moment he’ll never forget, and also the start of what he knows will be a close relationship with the Syracuse coaching staff.

"It's very well-earned,” Green said to The Juice Online. "I put a lot of time into my craft, working everyday and putting in hard effort. I'm really just mostly excited and ready to get up there and see campus.”

Green discusses his conversation with Tommy Caporale

The offer came from Syracuse general manager Tommy Caporale.

"Coach Cap, he's really cool,” Green said. "He's not as serious, and most of the stuff he says is really relatable. It means a lot to me. I really wanted it and Coach Cap really showed a lot of love."

Aside from the offer, the two spoke about a variety of different topics. For starters, academics is important to Green, who holds a 3.25 GPA and is interested in sports medicine.

They also spoke about the tight-knit Syracuse community, both on the football team and in the surrounding areas.

"We also spoke about community service and how it's mandatory,” Green said. "Basically talking about the program and what it meant to be at Syracuse.”

Green wants to continue to develop on the field

Of course, they also talked about developing him as a football player.

Green is a two-way player, but currently offered as a defensive back.

“(Coach Cap) can take care of me in the future and help me get better as a football player,” Green said. "So I'm really looking forward to seeing everything to see how this goes."

Green already off to an impressive start

It’s been a strong beginning to Green’s season. He led his Raines team to a 77-0 victory over Sandalwood, and that’s just the start of things to come.

"This fall, you can expect to see a lot of big plays getting made from the receiver position and me really showing up there for my team,” Green said. "And as far as the DB side of the ball. You can expect to see a couple of picks as well. Pick 6s. Just me having fun.”

Being a two-way player has helped him be a better defensive back and wide receiver, he said.

"I'm good both ways,” Green said. "I'm just as good as the other position, so it's really just a win-win overall. As a safety, with me being a receiver, I understand everything with spacing and really watching tendencies. So I feel like that's what separates me from everybody else.

"It's the same thing as a receiver. I play DB, so I know what they're watching, I know what they're anticipating. I know the reads, I know what they're lining up in, how far off the ball they need to be when they're in a certain coverage."

SUPPORT THE JUICE ONLINE

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