SU football welcomes nineteen recruits

Photo: Tyler Greenawalt

Scott Shafer talks about each recruit during his Wednesday afternoon press conference in the auditorium of the Iocolano-Petty Football Wing.

After all the coaching changes, all the traveling and all the talking, Syracuse football and head coach Scott Shafer finally have their 2013 recruiting class. Nineteen young men from 13 states will the join the Orange next year in its first season as part of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Shafer held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to welcome the new recruits and answer questions regarding the class as well as the future of SU football. Shafer also thanked his coaching staff, as well as the families of the coaching staff, for making so many sacrifices when it came to traveling and meeting recruits.

"We spent the last few weeks doing a good job of putting together a great class of young men who we think can help us win games here at Syracuse," Shafer said. "I'm really excited about this class because it represents high character men who really love that game of football and treat it with respect. I was proud of the way they operated on the signing date. I think you guys will be excited to meet these kids when they get on campus."

After being named the new head football coach on Jan. 9, Shafer quickly built a coaching staff and then went on a cross-country recruiting trip to find the future players of Syracuse football. Shafer said his top two priorities were shoring up the offensive line and linebacker depth, as those were the positions he saw needed most help.

Four offensive linemen, the most in one position in this year’s class, signed with Syracuse, including Alex Hayes, John Miller, Kendall Moore, and Jonathan Burton. Three linebackers will also be added, giving the Orange some much needed depth. These players included Luke Archiniega, Marqez Hodge and Josh Kirkland.

Playmaking ability was the second priority for Shafer. He said he wanted to find players whose skills could translate easily to college football. Shafer pointed specifically wide receivers Corey Cooper and Brisly Estime.

“We wanted to find some playmakers. Guys that make plays,” Shafer said. “Not just guys who are fast on the track or fast in a 40-yard dash in a combine, but guys who made plays on a videotape that you can clearly see could do the same at the collegiate level.”

At the quarterback position, Shafer said Austin Wilson and Mitch Kimble will offer an interesting open competition this offseason. They will also compete with the other quarterbacks currently on the roster, which include Terrel Hunt and John Kinder.

During his discussion about the individual recruits, Shafer pointed out three players he said could potentially play multiple positions. Tight end PJ Batten, Estime and Moore are outstanding athletes, Shafer said, and he could easily see them playing different positions on offense and defense.

Shafer praised this class, even in the wake of being near the bottom of the ACC in recruiting this year. Going into the 2013 season and the ACC, Shafer said his team will play with integrity, respect, and most importantly, with a chip on their shoulder.

“My best players have been kids that have been two stars or no stars and have had the longest NFL careers,” he said. “ “Yeah, we may not be the fastest, we may not be the biggest, we may not the strongest, but by God we’re going to play our butts off here.”

Here’s a complete list of the 2013 Syracuse football class. For player profiles click here.

Luke Arciniega, LB

PJ Batten, TE

Jon Burton, OL

Corey Cooper, WR

Brisly Estime, WR

Alex Hayes, OL

Marqez Hodge, LB

Isaiah Johnson, DL

Darius Kelly, DB

Mitch Kimble, QB

Josh Kirkland, LB

John Miller, OL

Kendall Moore, OL

Tyler Provo, TE

Chauncey Scissum, DB

Trevon Trejo, DL

Wayne Williams, DL

Austin Wilson, QB

Corey Winfield, WR