From SU Athletics:
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Four high school standouts made their commitments to play football at Syracuse University official on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Defensive backs Chase Atkinson (Columbia, S.C.), Ja’Had Carter (Richmond, Va.) and quarterbacks Dillon Markiewicz (McKinney, Texas) and JaCobian Morgan (Canton, Miss.) signed with the Orange today, rounding out the program’s 2020 signing class.
Today's additions raise Syracuse’s number of signees to 23, the majority of whom signed during the NCAA’s early signing period in December. Offensive lineman Chris Bleich (Hanover Township, Pa.) also transferred into the program from the University of Florida.
“I’d really like to thank the staff,” Orange head football coach Dino Babers said. “We’ve been operating two coaches short on the recruiting trail. Those guys had to double-up their efforts and I thought they did a fantastic job. We really like the way the class finished.”
Atkinson, who missed most of his senior due to injury, was a two-time South Carolina All-Midlands selection at Blythewood High School. As a junior, he logged 24 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions. He was voted to The State’s 2019 “Super 60” Team prior to the start of the season.
One of the top prospects in Virginia during the last recruiting cycle, Carter spent a postgraduate year at North Carolina’s Jireh Prep Academy in 2019. Carter was a two-time Virginia all-state honoree at Henrico High School and recorded 40 tackles and seven interceptions to go along with 63 receptions for 1,233 yards (19.6 avg.) and 11 touchdowns in 2017.
Markiewicz was the fourth-leading passer in the state of Texas in 2019, throwing for 4,187 yards and school-record 45 TDs. A Class 5A All-State Second Team selection, Markiewicz was also voted the Class 5A Area Player of the Year and the District 7-5A MVP after leading McKinney North High School to its first outright district title.
Morgan passed for 2,487 yards and was responsible for 30 touchdowns (27 passing 3 rushing) as a senior captain at Canton High School in Mississippi. Following the season, he was selected to play in the prestigious Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game as one of the state’s top players.
Overall, Syracuse’s incoming class is made up of four defensive backs, four offensive linemen, three wide receivers, three defensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two tight ends, one linebacker, one specialist and one athlete. Thirteen states are represented, with three players coming from Florida, two from Maryland, two from New Jersey, two from North Carolina, two from Pennsylvania and one each from Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
The class also includes four foreign-born players, two of whom are originally from Canada and two from Germany. The addition of wide receiver Damien Alford (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and defensive back Ben Labrosse (Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada) raises the number of Canadians in the Syracuse program to seven – the most in the FBS. Offensive lineman Mark Petry (Hochheim am Main, Germany) and tight end Maximilian Mang (Nuthetal, Germany) are believed to be the first German natives to ever play for the Orange (records date back to 1946).
Five signees – offensive lineman Garth Barclay (York, Pa.), wide receiver Justin Barron (Tolland, Conn.), defensive lineman Kevin Lemieux (Ashburnham, Mass.) and tight end Steven Mahar Jr. (Rochester, N.Y.) and Labrosse – are considered Top-10 players in their respective states or provinces by at least one of the three major recruiting services (247Sports, Rivals, ESPN).
Of the 23 signees, Mang, Petry, Bleich, defensive lineman Latarie Kinsler (Pahokee, Fla.), linebacker Stefon Thompson (Charlotte, N.C.) and wide receiver Ja’Vontae Williams (Belle Glade, Fla.) are already on campus and enrolled for the spring semester.
The Orange open the 2020 campaign on Sept. 4 at Boston College and host Colgate in their home opener on Sept. 19.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Four high school standouts made their commitments to play football at Syracuse University official on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Defensive backs Chase Atkinson (Columbia, S.C.), Ja’Had Carter (Richmond, Va.) and quarterbacks Dillon Markiewicz (McKinney, Texas) and JaCobian Morgan (Canton, Miss.) signed with the Orange today, rounding out the program’s 2020 signing class.
Today's additions raise Syracuse’s number of signees to 23, the majority of whom signed during the NCAA’s early signing period in December. Offensive lineman Chris Bleich (Hanover Township, Pa.) also transferred into the program from the University of Florida.
“I’d really like to thank the staff,” Orange head football coach Dino Babers said. “We’ve been operating two coaches short on the recruiting trail. Those guys had to double-up their efforts and I thought they did a fantastic job. We really like the way the class finished.”
Atkinson, who missed most of his senior due to injury, was a two-time South Carolina All-Midlands selection at Blythewood High School. As a junior, he logged 24 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions. He was voted to The State’s 2019 “Super 60” Team prior to the start of the season.
One of the top prospects in Virginia during the last recruiting cycle, Carter spent a postgraduate year at North Carolina’s Jireh Prep Academy in 2019. Carter was a two-time Virginia all-state honoree at Henrico High School and recorded 40 tackles and seven interceptions to go along with 63 receptions for 1,233 yards (19.6 avg.) and 11 touchdowns in 2017.
Markiewicz was the fourth-leading passer in the state of Texas in 2019, throwing for 4,187 yards and school-record 45 TDs. A Class 5A All-State Second Team selection, Markiewicz was also voted the Class 5A Area Player of the Year and the District 7-5A MVP after leading McKinney North High School to its first outright district title.
Morgan passed for 2,487 yards and was responsible for 30 touchdowns (27 passing 3 rushing) as a senior captain at Canton High School in Mississippi. Following the season, he was selected to play in the prestigious Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game as one of the state’s top players.
Overall, Syracuse’s incoming class is made up of four defensive backs, four offensive linemen, three wide receivers, three defensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two tight ends, one linebacker, one specialist and one athlete. Thirteen states are represented, with three players coming from Florida, two from Maryland, two from New Jersey, two from North Carolina, two from Pennsylvania and one each from Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
The class also includes four foreign-born players, two of whom are originally from Canada and two from Germany. The addition of wide receiver Damien Alford (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and defensive back Ben Labrosse (Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada) raises the number of Canadians in the Syracuse program to seven – the most in the FBS. Offensive lineman Mark Petry (Hochheim am Main, Germany) and tight end Maximilian Mang (Nuthetal, Germany) are believed to be the first German natives to ever play for the Orange (records date back to 1946).
Five signees – offensive lineman Garth Barclay (York, Pa.), wide receiver Justin Barron (Tolland, Conn.), defensive lineman Kevin Lemieux (Ashburnham, Mass.) and tight end Steven Mahar Jr. (Rochester, N.Y.) and Labrosse – are considered Top-10 players in their respective states or provinces by at least one of the three major recruiting services (247Sports, Rivals, ESPN).
Of the 23 signees, Mang, Petry, Bleich, defensive lineman Latarie Kinsler (Pahokee, Fla.), linebacker Stefon Thompson (Charlotte, N.C.) and wide receiver Ja’Vontae Williams (Belle Glade, Fla.) are already on campus and enrolled for the spring semester.
The Orange open the 2020 campaign on Sept. 4 at Boston College and host Colgate in their home opener on Sept. 19.
