Syracuse basketball appears to be in a strong position with 2027 wing Jack Donohue, who is expected to make a college choice around mid-August.
Donohue, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound prospect from Albany, received his Syracuse scholarship offer in late June from first-year head coach Gerry McNamara and his staff. He also took an unofficial visit to the Orange on June 22, and that trip reportedly went well.
McNamara first offered Donohue last summer when he was still coaching at Siena, and since arriving at Syracuse this past March, he has kept after him hard. SU assistant coach Ben Lee, who joined McNamara on the Hill this spring, has been part of that push as well.
The Orange are not alone in the chase. Donohue’s offer list also includes Siena, Holy Cross, Tennessee Tech, Penn, Albany, Hampton, Bryant and La Salle. He’s drawing interest, too, from programs such as Villanova, TCU, George Washington and Duquesne, among others.
There’s also a bigger reason Donohue’s story stands out. Last year, he went through open-heart surgery, and simply seeing him back on the floor doing what he loves is a feel-good development.
Donohue’s path has taken him from Christian Brothers Academy in Albany to The Newman School in Boston. In the 2025-26 season, Newman put together a huge run, finishing 38-3 and winning the New England Basketball League ("NEBL") title, the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council ("NEPSAC") Class AAA crown and the national prep championship.
This spring and summer, Donohue has been playing on the Under Armour Association ("UAA") circuit for the 17U NJ ShoreShots, a Jersey Shore, N.J.-based team that is 6-8 overall, according to the UAA Web site. The ShoreShots are set to play this week in the league’s season-ending playoffs in Louisville, Ky., during a live period, which makes it a key evaluation window for college staffs. Donohue has averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds through 14 games, while shooting 37 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range and 56 percent from the free-throw line.
McNamara and his staff have been busy on the recruiting trail lately, extending offers to a number of four-star and five-star prospects in the 2027 and 2028 classes. Among the names on Syracuse’s visit schedule are five-star big man Ahmed Nur from August 28 to August 30, four-star power forward Ian Condon from September 1 to September 2 and four-star point guard J'Lon Lyons from September 11 to September 13.
In Other News...
Boston College Just Took A Hit Syracuse Fans Will Notice
Boston College is already dealing with a setback that Syracuse will have to keep in mind on the November 21 matchup. Tight end Kaelan Chudzinski will be unavailable for the 2026 season, thinning out an Eagles offense that had a useful piece at that spot and removing one more variable from a late-season game that could matter in the Oranges push for bowl positioning.
The timing lands alongside a busy ACC week, with Fran Brown set to speak at the leagues kickoff event and Syracuse players also on the schedule. The conference also unveiled new tiebreaker rules for its uneven-schedule setup, a change that could loom large later in the year if the Orange find themselves in a crowded race and need every edge they can get. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown Arrives At ACC Kickoff With Syracuse Fans Wanting One Answer
Fran Brown is heading to Charlotte this week with a few familiar faces, and Syracuse fans already know the conversation waiting for him. The Orange coach will be joined at the ACC Football Kickoff by Steve Angeli, Antoine Deslauriers and Demetres Samuel Jr., giving the program a chance to put its people in front of the leagues media as all 17 ACC teams cycle through their preseason turn in the spotlight.
For Syracuse, the event is about more than the usual summer talking points. Brown and his players will field questions about where the Orange stand entering the season, but the loudest curiosity is centered on Angeli and what his status means for the offense after the injury he suffered against Clemson. It is the kind of backdrop that turns a routine kickoff appearance into a real checkpoint for a team trying to answer big questions before camp gets fully rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Why Malachi Nelson Is A Syracuse Quarterback Fans Need To Know
Malachi Nelson is the kind of quarterback addition that can get overlooked in the shuffle of a transfer cycle, but Syracuse has reason to keep him on the radar. The redshirt junior arrived from UTEP after committing in January 2024, bringing a rsum that includes real starting experience and the kind of arm talent that once made him one of the most talked-about recruits in the country. He spent 2025 opening six games for the Miners, throwing for 1,163 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions, a line that shows both the upside and the growing pains that come with a young passer still trying to settle in.
For Syracuse, the immediate interest is less about the headline and more about the depth chart. Steve Angeli is the likely starter for 2026, which makes the backup job a meaningful one, especially in a sport where one injury can change everything in a hurry. Nelson is expected to be in that mix, and the competition around him will tell the Orange plenty about how comfortable the staff feels with its quarterback room heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]