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Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell walks the sidelines during the third quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Top WR stuns Florida State Seminoles football with commitment elsewhere

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET

A shocking decision on the recruiting trail over Independence Day weekend has taken over the national spot.

Florida State has been searching for a five-star prospect to add to #Tribe26 throughout the cycle. The Seminoles are closing in on one of their top targets but saw another recruit who officially visited Tallahassee in June commit elsewhere on Saturday night.

In a live commitment ceremony, five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell turned heads when he chose Syracuse over Florida State, Michigan, and Oregon. Russell eliminated the hometown Miami Hurricanes from his recruitment earlier this week.

It was definitely a surprise to see the Orange make such a massive move. Russell is the program's top commitment in over two decades.

BREAKING: Five-Star WR Calvin Russell has Committed to Syracuse, he tells me for @rivals

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
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 6, 2025

Syracuse and head coach Fran Brown are proving to be a force to reckon with on the recruiting front. Russell is the second recruit that the Orange have stolen out of South Florida whom Florida State was interested in.

Three-star defensive end Kamron Wilson committed to Syracuse in March. His decision came about a week after visiting the Seminoles.

As a junior, Russell led Miami Northwestern High School to a state championship. He caught 39 passes for 704 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding two scores on the ground. Russell also plays basketball at the prep level where he averaged 15.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

Earlier this offseason, four-star safety and Florida State commitment, Tedarius Hughes, transferred to Miami Northwestern. Hughes and Russell will be teammates this fall. It's worth noting that Syracuse is one of the top programs trying to flip Hughes.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound wide receiver is regarded as the No. 21 overall prospect, the No. 3 WR, and the No. 2 recruit in Florida in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds 21 verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 13 in the country.

The Seminoles wouldn't have minded to have Russell in their class. With that being said, FSU does have five wide receivers in the fold; four-star Devin Carter, four-star Brandon Bennett, four-star Jasen Lopez, four-star Efrem White, and four-star Darryon Williams.