Syracuse football is gearing up for a big weekend on the recruiting front, with a key junior day set for Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome. As the Orange basketball team hosts Miami, the football program will welcome a number of high-profile prospects across multiple classes-giving fans a glimpse at the future talent potentially heading to the Hill.
One name to keep an eye on is 2027 wide receiver Javien Robinson, a rising star out of McKeesport Area Senior High School in Pennsylvania. While his visit isn’t officially locked in, there’s buzz that he could be in town for the event. And if he makes the trip, it’ll mark yet another touchpoint between Syracuse and one of the most electric young playmakers in the country.
Robinson stands at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, and he’s the kind of athlete who turns heads on both sides of the ball. He’s already visited Syracuse twice-once late last year and again in November 2024-and the Orange are clearly in the mix for his services. His offer list is a who’s who of major programs: Florida State, Miami, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Temple, UConn, and of course, Syracuse.
According to 247Sports, Robinson is rated as a four-star prospect in the 2027 class. He’s ranked No. 145 nationally, No. 22 among wide receivers, and No. 8 overall in the state of Pennsylvania.
Both the 247Sports Composite and Rivals Industry Ranking place him comfortably within the top 350 players in the country. For a player with two full high school seasons still ahead of him, that’s elite company.
But the Orange aren’t stopping there. Another junior day is on the calendar for January 31, when Syracuse basketball will host Notre Dame. That weekend is also shaping up to be a big one on the football side.
Among the expected visitors is 2027 linebacker Antwoine Higgins Jr., a four-star prospect and All-American out of Anderson High School in Cincinnati. Higgins has already made waves on the national scene, and his presence on campus would be a significant opportunity for the Orange coaching staff to make their pitch in person.
Joining him is tight end Michael Nnabuife, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound prospect from Saint Frances Academy-one of the premier high school programs in the country. Nnabuife is rated as a three-star in the 2027 class by ESPN, and he’s already narrowed his top six schools to Syracuse, Alabama, N.C.
State, Maryland, Florida, and Michigan State. That’s serious company, and Syracuse being in that mix speaks volumes about the staff’s recruiting reach.
Saint Frances, for context, capped off its 2025 season by winning the first-ever Overtime National Championship, beating Corner Canyon 37-20. That’s the level of competition Nnabuife is coming from-and his size and athleticism make him a real mismatch threat at the next level.
The January 31 junior day is also expected to include several other intriguing prospects. Among them: 2027 tight end Derrius Jones from Blue Ridge School in Virginia, 2027 defensive back Semajay Robinson out of Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, and even a name to file away for the future-2029 edge rusher Kamari Watson from Maury High School in Norfolk, Virginia.
For Syracuse, these junior days aren’t just about showing off the Dome or handing out gear. They’re about building relationships, laying groundwork, and planting seeds with some of the most talented young players in the country. And based on the caliber of visitors expected, the Orange are swinging big.
We’ll see how the next couple of weekends unfold, but one thing’s clear: Syracuse is making a concerted push to elevate its recruiting profile-and it’s doing so with some serious talent on campus.