July 4th weekend always proves to provide fireworks on the recruiting trail in college football as some of the Nation's top recruits choose to announce over the weekend. On July 5th, the recruit to watch was Miami native Calvin Russell who was set to choose between Michigan, Syracuse, Florida State, and Oregon.
In the end, this was a massive battle between Syracuse and Michigan and while the fans were forced to wait a little longer than expected, Syracuse fans won't remember the wait.
Syracuse gets a massive win landing Calvin Russell over Michigan
On Saturday Night, when Calvin Russell took the stage it was the Syracuse Orange landing the 5-star wide receiver over Michigan.
BREAKING: Five-Star WR Calvin Russell has Committed to Syracuse, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 6, 2025
The 6’5 200 WR chose the Orange over Michigan, Florida State, & Oregon
He’s the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Syracuse in the past 20 years
“FRAN BROWN!!!”https://t.co/CicMLyvwqr pic.twitter.com/P2QPwtqCKz
According to On3's Industry Recruiting Rankings, Calvin Russell is a 5-star recruit ranking as the 32nd ranked player in the Country, the 4th ranked wide receiver in the class, and the 2nd ranked player out of Florida. Landing Calvin Russell is monumental for the Orange as he becomes the highest ranked recruit to pick the Orange in the modern recruiting era.
Calvin Russell will be a massive target for Syracuse Orange at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds with an insane 6-foot-10 wingspan. This past season, Russell caught 39 passes for 704 yards and 13 touchdowns at Northwestern High School. The elite receiver has a great mentor in his corner who knows what it takes to be great at the College level, as his High School Head Coach is former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
While Russell is a massive addition for the Syracuse Football team, the other main attraction on camps will love the news. Russell plans on playing football and basketball meaning the Syracuse Basketball team is getting a massive talent as he averaged 21 points per game this season.
When Fran Brown arrived at Syracuse, there was a on of hope that he could help build the Orange back into a contender in the ACC because of his success recruiting at Georgia. Winning out in a recruitment as contested as Russell's shows a ton about the way Fran Brown builds relationships and is a positive sign moving forward.