Syracuse fans have plenty of reasons to keep one eye on the future, and Elijah Kimble is a big part of that conversation. The Class of 2027 running back is already the No. 1 ranked recruit in New York State high school football, and earlier this season he became the career rushing leader in Western New York High School football history.
But a recent game against Christian Brothers Academy raised a few questions about the top commit’s temperament.
CBA beat Kimble-led Canisius 31-7 on Oct. 17, and according to a subscriber exclusive story from Syracuse.com, the Syracuse coaches didn’t just build their plan around Kimble’s ability as a runner. They also tried to work on him mentally.
Writer Connor Pignatello reported that Kimble was involved in several on-field incidents and had multiple outbursts. Among the details cited were that Kimble “tended to head straight to the bench instead of standing with his teammates on the sideline. His teammates didn’t always celebrate with him when he scored.”
Pignatello also noted that “As Kimble walked to his sideline, he threw his helmet.”
Another moment described in the report came after Kimble took off his helmet before getting up and taking a few steps toward a group of CBA defenders, yelling at them. A teammate held him back, and Kimble left the field with a trainer and did not return.
The report also said, “Kimble, 17, drew two personal fouls, left the game before the final whistle and shoved an opponent in the handshake line.”
That’s where the concern comes in for Syracuse. Plenty of players get rattled in tough games, but the issue here is maturity, and that’s something Kimble will need to clean up over the next several months.
His role on the 2027 Orange roster still has to play out, and the jump to college football can be a rough one even for players with elite talent. Syracuse will be hoping Kimble can bring the athletic ability that made him such a coveted recruit while also tightening up the emotional side of his game.
That matters even more because Syracuse is already one of the most heavily penalized teams in the nation right now. The Orange don’t need more discipline issues added to the mix.
As for Kimble, he and Canisius still have two regular-season games left. Once the Crusaders’ season ends, he’ll move toward signing with Syracuse.
The early signing period for national signing day runs from Dec. 2-Dec.
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