Syracuse made a strong impression on 2029 Rochester (NY) East athlete Anthony Lucas when he was on campus to watch the Orange beat No. 19 SMU, 30-27.
Lucas, who was first offered by Syracuse nearly two years ago, said the trip lived up to the hype.
“The visit was amazing,” Lucas said to The Juice Online. “I got to experience the team come out play together and win in a tough game.”
He spent time catching up with several Syracuse coaches, including Tommy Caporale, Deon Maddox and Fran Brown.
“It was mostly just us catching up and talking about the season,” Lucas said.
What stood out most to Lucas was the way Syracuse started fast and then fought back to finish the job.
“Cuse came out firing, bringing the energy scoring and getting stops,” Lucas said. “To see them be able to come back and win trailing the Mustangs was inspiring.”
He also said his favorite moment was being part of the crowd after the upset win. In the Brown era, Syracuse is 3-0 at the JMA Wireless Dome against ranked opponents.
Lucas also got a photo with freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell, and said it was his first time seeing him play in person.
“It was my first time ever seeing him play in person,” Lucas said.
The Orange remain a major factor in Lucas’ recruitment, and he said Syracuse is in his top 2.
“Nothing changed (in my view of the Orange),” Lucas said. “Cuse brought the hospitality and the energy. It was just a blessing to be in a position where I could talk to these coaches and enjoy the game.”
Lucas previously said Brown delivered his offer personally and told him he wanted him to stay in New York and play for him.
“He told me that he wanted me to stay home in the state of New York and play for him,” Lucas said. “He also encouraged me to take all the visits and enjoy the recruiting process. He said if I continued to work hard and listen to my Uncle/Coach Diddi that I’ll be the No. 1 player in the state.”
East is coming off a playoff win, and Lucas said he wants more as November approaches. He plays both EDGE and wide receiver, and he says he sees himself like Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons on defense and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown in his rookie season on offense.
Said Lucas: “I like hitting, but I also like to score.”
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