SI All-American watch list: 10 Syracuse commits and 5 key Orange targets named

Top 10 position rankings start this week; preseason SI99 out in August

Led by California quarterback prospect Justin Lamson, who committed in early July, Syracuse has double-digit verbal commitments among the candidates for the 2020 Sports Illustrated All-America team of high school senior football players.

The rising quarterback talent stands 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and can make plays with both his arm and his legs, just the type of athletic profile at the game's most important position that head coach Dino Babers has thrived with during his time at the helm. 

A handful of top uncommitted prospects still considering Syracuse were also among the candidates named on Wednesday. 

Listed below is the full breakdown of SU verbals and prime targets on the SI All-American watch list.

VERBAL COMMITS:

Offense

QB Justin Lamson/6-3, 210/El Dorado Hills, Calif.

RB Josh Hough/6-2, 235/Beaver Falls, Pa.

WR Kendall Long/6-3, 215/Lexington, S.C.

TE Derek McDonald/6-4, 230/Atlanta, Ga.

TE Landon Morris/6-5, 210/La Grange Park, Ill.

OL Austyn Kauhi/6-5, 260/Honolulu, Hawaii

Defense

DL Jatius Geer/6-5, 260/Honea Path, S.C.

DL Jaelin Moss/6-5, 260/Fairport, N.Y.

LB Austin Roon/6-4, 220/Byron Center, Mich. 

DB Malcolm Folk/6-1, 190/Newtown Square, Pa.

TOP TARGETS:

DL Zyun Reeves/6-7, 245/Kernersville, N.C.

DL George Rooks III/6-4, 260/Jersey City, N.J.

DL Tim Williams/6-2, 260/Clearwater, Fla.

LB Sam Ofurie/6-1, 240/Bradenton, Fla.

DB Joshua Baka/6-1, 185/Oakdale, Conn.

More than 1,000 student-athletes, representing every state in the country, are SI All-American candidates. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a list of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages, broken down by state, at SIAllAmerican.com.

Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.

The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia, Jr.

The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December.