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Eli Lederman
Syracuse landed a seismic addition in the 2026 class Saturday night when four-star wide receiver Calvin Russell, ESPN’s No. 28 overall recruit, announced his commitment to the Orange.
Russell, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound downfield target from Miami, Florida, is ESPN’s fourth-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 class. He chose Syracuse over finalists Michigan, Florida State and Oregon following a pair of unofficial visits with the program this spring.
Russell lands with the Orange as the No. 1 pledge in Syracuse coach Fran Brown’s 2026 class. If Russell signs later this year, he would be the highest-ranked addition in program history.
Russell is the son of former Miami women’s basketball player Chanivia Broussard and is a three-sport standout at Miami Northwestern High School, where he won a 3A state title in 2024 under head coach and former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
He was credited with 39 receptions for 704 yards and 13 touchdowns in his junior campaign last fall. A skilled small forward who averaged 21.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his sophomore basketball season, Russell is also expected to pursue the opportunity to play college basketball with the Orange.
Russell marks another milestone pledge for Syracuse under Brown, who also landed ESPN 300 safety Demetres Samuel in 2025.
Russell follows top 300 defensive end Kamron Wilson (No. 285 overall) as Syracuse’s second ESPN 300 commit this cycle and represents the program’s 26th overall pledge in the 2026 class. Russell leads a deep 2026 Syracuse wide receiver team that also includes pass catchers Amare Gough, B.J. Garrett, Phoenix Henriquez and Zikhere Leaks around three-star quarterback Zaid Lott, who flipped his pledge from North Carolina in March.