The hits just keep on coming for Syracuse football. 2015 WR West Lindor has decommitted from the Orange as of last night. Lindor joins Gerald Robinson, Doyle Grimes, and Davante Davis as players who have rescinded their commitments after originally pledging to the 2015 class. The Fizz wrote two months ago the potential for the George McDonald demotion having a lasting effect on the class.
Lindor, a 2-star recruit, gave his commitment to the Orange in early July and was the only true receiver in the class. He set his high school‚Äôs record for most receiving touchdowns in a season and runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. Decommitments were expected to a degree because of the wave of early recruits the Orange received in the summer. This could also be because of a change in offensive philosophy, Lindor is no longer a target of the Orange. Tim Lester’s scheme is different than McDonald’s, and maybe that affects how SU sees Lindor. Although, you’d want the staff to be upfront with him, considering these stories may hurt the perception in other recruits’ eyes.
But is there something more going on here? Lindor and Robinson both have said the Orange coaching staff did not return their messages and have lacked appropriate communication after both committed to the program. It seems odd that Scott Shafer and company would go through all the hassle of evaluating players and giving them offers if they are not going to respond to them after giving verbal commitments.
A possible explanation is that the Syracuse coaching staff realized they had the numbers for a full pledge class early in the recruiting process and now wants to potentially open spots for better players. This was a concern early on considering the class lacks a big splash, like a 4-star commit. Receiving commitments early on for the Orange was great as a safety net but the program needs to take a bigger step in recruiting to compete in the ACC.
However the staff needs to be careful with a fragile recruiting environment especially due to the lack of success on the gridiron this year. Commits and prospective recruits just witnessed a horrid football season filled with injuries, coaching changes, and inconsistent quarterback play, all in a half-filled Dome. The program does need to improve the quality of recruits and staying in touch with them would seem to be the least the Orange could do. There’s always the concern that this is the fallout following McDonald’s rocky season on the Hill.
A strategy the Orange could use in the future to avoid this situation is to not give out offers until they know they want a player to join. The Orange thrived off getting players to commit in the past because the coaching staff got to prospects before other teams and gave them early offers. With the move to the ACC and the indoor practice facility, the Orange now has other tools to use when recruiting. This can limit the number of offers Syracuse gives out and gives Shafer more leverage in the recruiting process.¬†This is a tumultuous time in SU football history, with plenty of hurdles already in place. The staff needs to make sure it’s not making more for¬†itself.
Posted: Zephan Mayell
10 responses to “Another One Bites The Dust: What To Make of the Syracuse Football Decommits?”
This isn’t a loss. It’s obvious that Cuse was looking to move and no longer wanted this kid. It sucks stuff like this happens, but such is life in D1 football. He was a project at best.
Lindor played the “Y” WR/TE hybrid position in McDonald’s system that simply doesn’t exist in Lester’s scheme. Is it a shitty way for the school to go about it? Sure. But our own fans pages droning on and on about isn’t helping the PR any.
I remember Terry questioning the number of signings early on…Recruiting ACC caliber athletes should be Shafer’s first priority. This particular 2 star reciever is not the end of the world but certainly not a reputation we want.
Under Gross we continue to lack leadership or class. We should be recruiting on a great University, a good facility, a good fan base…and instant playing time
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Zephan Mayell;
it’s time here that we get reaquainted and we put our cards on the table here. I posted on another thread yesterday about this kid decommitting. The reason he gave to the media was the coaching staff didn’t keep in touch with him during the season. That’s bunk man. why are you putting this junk on this website anyways? Take a good look at this kid,has he reached puberty yet? Wgen he first committed to us last summer or spring I thought he was a 4* stud coming into the program!!!!! I believe the real reason he decommitted was the commitment of JC TE 6‚Äô4‚Ä≥ 245 lb Trey Dunkelberger and the possibility of getting another 3* TE-Y 3* 6‚Äô4‚Ä≥ 230 lb TE-Y Amir Ealey that will be visiting this weekend and I believe that’s why the 2* TE-Y West Lindor decommitted. Let him go and play Div. III football, where if he fits in will feel like a king.
For me this isn’t a big loss for our program. I feel by the time it’s over and done with Davante Davis and Gerald Robinson recommits to the orange come February. Don’t you think it funny that neither player has committed to another school yet? I know I do.
Ron…hope all is well!
Hope your right! I do think they signed with a machine gun not a rifle. Helps when recruits see others signing. Creates a sense of momentum. The whole process is built on lack of kids or teams living up to commitments. Colleges are signing kids in other sports as freshman and sophomores..enough is enough. I’m critizing the process and wish naively that we weren’t part of it.
We have a great University..early playing time.. ACC exposure, good fan base….let’s sell it.
Bleacher Report ranks Top College Football Teams 2014..1 thru 128
Cuse an impressive 94th. I called all year for a 4/8 season…Opps.. 3/9!
A real pitiful season. This program is in serious trouble. Gross had a heavy hand putting it there! This recruiting clas and who stays is a critical step toward breaking back into the top 50. yikes! Did I say that?
Something has to change and it starts with Gross! Send him to NJ with his buddy.Rutgers NEWARK needs a Women’s Program!
Cuse17;
I’m doing fine and all is well. I too don’t understand how any university is allowed to sign a kid as early as their freshman or sophomore years in high school. I didn’t have the chance like some to attend college. I love and respect Syracuse University,I’ve met a lot of great young people over the years and agree with all of your comments.
If I was a young man graduating from high school that played football with my goal in life was to play in the NFL and realized a school that offered immediate playing time,that would be the school for me. I agree our fans are as good as anyone’s.
Testing. Hope all is well.
Wow! I have not been able to post on here for a long time. Every time I’ve tried, I was denied. This is not as big a story as people think (I have heard they did tell him they were moving in a different direction) and the reality is that the kids have the ability to say whatever without the opportunity for the school or coaches to offer rebuttal due to the NCAA rules that don’t allow the school or coaches to talk about or comment on unsigned recruits. West no longer fit in with what the school was trying to do and the timing of it makes me think it wasn’t due to the McDonald demotion either (he and Bubba Robinson both say contact stopped in September and McD was demoted in October). I will take this to the next article, but this is perpetuating a story that was inaccurate from the get go.
Malone,Cuse17 and me,looks like my wish is getting answered. With the group is getting back together is making this old guy pretty happy. Glad to hear from you guys again.