Syracuse Breaking News; Five-Star Commitment

At Miami Northwestern, Russell helped the Bulls win a Class 3A Florida state championship this past season. Coached by NFL quarterback and former Miami Northwestern alum Teddy Bridgewater, they went 12-2, winning their last six games by a combined score of 300 points. At receiver, Russell averaged 18.4 yards per reception. At the end of the season, he totalled 645 receiving yards and a team-leading 13 total touchdowns.

Before going out wide, Russell played quarterback his freshman and sophomore years, throwing for 500-plus yards in two years. Along with passing, he ran for 569 yards.

On the basketball court, Russell averaged 15 points a game on 56% shooting. A big reason Russell may have committe d to the Orange is the opportunity in both basketball and football.

The Wild Commitment

Late Saturday night, Russell planned to go live at his birthday party. With four teams left in his recruiting process, Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, and Syracuse, the moment was big. As the clock struck nine o’clock, Russell didn’t show. Reports say Russell got stuck in traffic on his way to the venue. Almost 40 minutes later, Russell appeared on Instagram Live with a giant birthday cake and plenty of family.

Before getting out his commitment, the live audio cut out. For two intense minutes, fans watched in silence. Finally, Russell and his family and friends celebrated, and the post went live. Hayes Fawcett posted the breaking news wi th the quote, “FRAN BROWN!!!.” The Orange had landed their top guy.

2026 Receiving Room

With this commitment, Russell becomes the fifth receiver in Syracuse’s 2026 recruiting class. On top of that, his commitment now bolsters the Orange’s class to 20th in the nation. Russell and four-star receiver Amare Gough now build a future duo at receiver.

What will go down as Fran Brown’s biggest moment so far at Syracuse, no doubt, will raise the bar for the Orange. Syracuse joins Sacramento State and Texas Tech this week, making headlines for recruiting high-profile prospects when it seemed unlikely. The biggest questions now are how much Russell will make at Syracuse and if he will play football and basketball.

Stay tuned for updates on the Calvin Russell commitment and other Syracuse commitments.