Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse football beat out one of its regional recruiting rivals and another Power 4 school for the commitment of 3-star defensive lineman Elijah Crawford on Friday.
Crawford had a top three of Syracuse, Rutgers and West Virginia and announced his commitment via his social media. He visited all three programs in June.
Crawford is the seventh player in the Orange’s class to choose Syracuse while also holding a Rutgers offer, according to offer listings on 247Sports. The two schools have been neck-and-neck this recruiting cycle.
Hailing from Owings Mills, Maryland — the same hometown as former SU running back Sean Tucker — Crawford is rated as the No. 44 player in the state and No. 137 defensive lineman nationally by the 247Sports Composite.
He (6-foot-2.5, 285 pounds) attends the McDonogh School and finished his junior season with 39 total tackles and two sacks, according to the school’s MaxPreps page. As a sophomore, he had 32 tackles.
Crawford is the 28th member of Syracuse’s current recruiting class. There are five other defensive linemen verbally committed.
The addition of Crawford keeps the Orange one digit behind Rutgers for the most commitments in the country. A key difference, though, is the Scarlet Knights having seven four-star prospects pledged to their program. Syracuse lost its lone four-star by the 247Sports Composite last weekend in Sharlandiin Strange.
Neither program has a five-star commitment.
Still, Syracuse’s class is ranked No. 32 nationally, which could be the highest class ranking of the modern recruiting era for the Orange if it holds through signing day in December.
The Orange’s class is made up mostly of regional prospects. It includes seven of the Top 10 players in New York and two of the Top 20 in New Jersey per the 247Sports Composite.
Next on the calendar of scheduled commitments are Isaiah Mizell (July 10) and CJ May (1:30 p.m. July 13).
Contact Emily Leiker anytime: Email | Twitter
More Orange Football
- Syracuse football 2024 roster: See who changed positions, departures, new numbers and more
- After successful cancer fight, Dennis Hartman named 2024 Zunic Award recipient
- ACC Network spotlighting Syracuse football for its annual All-Access series
- ACC Commissioner says ‘forceful moments deserve forceful points’ as he addresses ongoing litigation
- Steve Hyder, former voice of Syracuse University sports and Syracuse Chiefs baseball, has died