Class of 2024 four star cornerback Marcellus Barnes announced his decision to commit to Syracuse on NBC during the All-American Bowl on Saturday. The announcement included hats from Georgia and Ole Miss, but Barnes picked the Orange despite being from Tennessee in the heart of SEC country.
This provided great exposure for the program. The announcers immediately noted this was the first time a player picked Syracuse during this game, and spoke about the program for a few minutes afterwards as well. Barnes even did a brief interview on the air, noting his strong relationship with head coach Fran Brown and how Syracuse is building something special.
"Coach Fran, he's like family to me," Barnes said after announcing on the broadcast. "He heavily recruited me when I was really considering Georgia. Honestly, I just feel like I'll be developed on and off the football field. So I'm excited."
The broadcast crew then discussed the start Fran Brown is off to with his recruiting prowess. More great exposure. Recruits in the 2025 classes and beyond often watch these types of events, and seeing a high profile recruit from the south pick Syracuse will only enhance the Orange's changes of landing some of those types in future cycles.
Now of course the interviewer had to ask Barnes about snow in Syracuse, noting the average snowfall in his hometown is three inches compared to 114 in Syracuse. Barnes said that he loved the game too much to let that impact his decision. A great answer. But it does beg the question, would that be asked if he picked Michigan? Or Penn State? Or Notre Dame? College towns that receive more than 50 inches of snow per year?
Granted that is around half of what Syracuse gets, but Syracuse plays in a Dome. Those three do not. Funny how that remains a talking point with the Orange.
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