As of 9 a.m., the Syracuse football program has landed 10 recruits to start national letter of intent signing day. According to SUAthletics.com, offensive linemen Kristofer Curtis, Nick Robinson and Rob Trudo, linebacker Cameron Lynch, quarterback Terrell Hunt, defensive backs Ritchy Desir and Shutang Mungwa, running back Tyree Smallwood, wide receiver Keenan Hale and punter Jonathan Fisher all agreed to be an Orange.
Curtis, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound, three-star tackle from Georgia, committed to SU in late October. (Read his complete profile here.)
"It's about their great academics and a great direction of the program," said Curtis, who picked the Orangemen over Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State and Tulane on Oct. 26. "The staff is amazing and coach [Greg] Adkins has been all over me and he has showed me a lot of love."
Robinson, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound, two-way tackle, is a local kid from Baldwinsville, N.Y. Robinson, who verbally committed to SU in late January, had offers from the Tulane Green Wave, Buffalo Bulls and Western Michigan Broncos.
"He's always been an Orange fan, and when the opportunity to play in Syracuse came up last week, he was excited," wrote Nolan Weidner of the Syracuse Post-Standard on Jan. 23rd.
Trudo, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound, three-star guard from Farrell, Pa., also verbally committed to SU in early October.
"I believe in what Coach Marrone is trying to do," Trudo told OrangeFizz.net in October. "Turning Syracuse into a winning program. The undergrads there, the freshmen and sophomores, I spent some time with them over the weekend. They believe that too. I just wanted to be a part of something special."
Lynch, 5-foot-11, 220-pound, three-star OLB from Snellville, Ga., also gave a verbal commitment to SU before Wednesday. Here's what ESPN's Recruiting guru Jamie Newberg had to say about Lynch on Saturday.
"Just how good is Lynch? He was the 5A Defensive Player of the Year in Georgia after recording 188 tackles and 18.5 sacks. That says a ton, especially considering just how deep and talented the Peach State was this past season. Lynch is smaller (5-11) but was very productive for one of the state's top programs. He's terrific against the run and very explosive."
Hunt, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound quarterback from Middle Village, N.Y., committed to SU in June. Hunt's story is more than just football. ESPN's Newberg said Hunt could be a big under-the-radar signing.
"I felt like it was the place for me," Hunt said about his morther who passed away last January of ovarian cancer. "My mom loved it, before she passed. It felt like a family."
Desir, 5-foot-11, 175-pound DB from Miami, verbally committed to SU just a few weeks ago. SB Nation's Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has this to say about Desir. Smallwood, 5-foot-11, 165-pound RB from Cornwall, N.Y., verbal committed to SU in July. Justin Rodriguez of the Times Herald-Record wrote this Wednesday on Varsity 845.
"Central Michigan, Rutgers, the University at Buffalo and Cincinnati also offered Smallwood full scholarships... He will begin his career at Syracuse playing running back. However, he said he could move to wide receiver or defensive back."
"'I'm just glad all of my hard work paid off,' said Smallwood. 'Now I'm just going to work hard, and try my best to help Syracuse keep winning.'"
Syracuse Orange head coach Doug Marrone will speak about the new recruits when he appears on ESPNU's Signing Day special at 5 p.m. and MSG's Varsity signing day special at 8 p.m. Marrone will hold a press conference at 4 p.m.