Gerry McNamara’s first recruiting win for Syracuse’s future is in the books.
The Orange picked up Jack Donohue from the Class of 2027 on Monday, according to Mike McAllister of 247 Sports, giving the program another piece to stash away while the attention around McNamara stays locked on the present. Syracuse has been trying to piece together a roster for now, but Donohue gives the staff something to point to down the road.
Donohue is listed at 6-foot-8 and comes with a solid recruiting profile. He started at Christian Brothers Academy in Albany before moving on to a prep school in Massachusetts. 247 Sports lists him as a three-star prospect and the No. 4 player in Massachusetts, with a reputation as a good shooter.
Exactly where he fits when he eventually gets to campus is still an open question. McNamara targeted players with multiple years of eligibility when he attacked the transfer portal, and Syracuse could have most of its current roster back by the time Donohue enrolls.
That said, nothing about modern college basketball stays settled for long. Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony both could be gone after this season, whether that means the NBA Draft or the portal. And there’s always the possibility that other Syracuse players decide to move on, too.
So while Donohue is part of the future, the picture around him could look very different by then.
Syracuse also added another date to its upcoming schedule on Monday, locking in a home game against Cornell at the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 18.
With that matchup now set, the Orange still need three more non-conference games announced before the schedule is complete: Albany at home, Rutgers at Barclays Center and St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.
On the football side, Syracuse’s season opener against New Hampshire is set for Sept. 5.
The program is also heading into another year without No. 44 being worn by an SU player, extending a stretch that has now lasted since 1998. Some fans have wanted the number brought back for a high-profile player, but it remains out of circulation.
Syracuse football is coming off a 3-9 season and has been picked for another difficult year ahead.
In Other News...
Syracuse Leaders Think This Orange Team Is Far Better Than Expected
Syracuse is heading into its third season under Fran Brown with a different feel around the program, and sophomore linebacker Antoine Deslauriers sounds like one of the players helping drive it. He is expected to take on a bigger leadership role this fall, and he pointed to the arrival of new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres as a reason the Orange have been able to settle in and play with more speed and comfort on that side of the ball.
That matters because the outside expectations are still low, with Syracuse picked to finish 14th in the ACC. Deslauriers, though, has made it clear he believes the team is better than that forecast suggests, and his confidence reflects a defense that believes it has made real progress heading into the season. The question now is whether that internal belief shows up once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown Is Already Leaning Into Syracuses Underdog Season
Fran Brown did not flinch at the way Syracuse was slotted in the ACC preseason chatter, and in some ways that is exactly the point. After a 3-9 finish last year, the Orange are being asked to prove they can climb out of the conference basement, but Brown sounded eager to use the low expectations as fuel as the season approaches.
Syracuse opens on Sept. 5 against New Hampshire, giving Brown and his team an early chance to show whether the outside skepticism is justified or badly misplaced. On the hoops side, Gerry McNamara already added Class of 2027 recruit Jack Donohue as the basketball program gets ready to tip off on Nov. 2, another reminder that there is plenty of Syracuse optimism to track across campus even as the football team tries to change its narrative first. [Read more 🡒]