Ifeatu Melifonwu Declares for NFL Draft

Syracuse will lose one of its starting cornerbacks.

Mike McAllister | Dec 18, 2020

Ifeatu Melifonwu Declares for NFL Draft /

Syracuse starting cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu is declaring the for the NFL Draft, he announced on Twitter. Melifonwu started all 10 games for Syracuse this past season and racked up 54 tackles, three for loss, one sack and one interception during his junior season.

"Cuse Nation," Melifonwu wrote in a post on Twitter. "First of all I just want to Thank God for putting me int he position I am in today and surround me with so many great people in my life.

"Syracuse has always felt like home to me since day one and I will never take that for granted. I want to thank Coach Babers and the entire Syracuse coaching staff from the past and present that have coached, mentored and helped me become the person I am today both on and off the field.

"Next I want to thank my teammates who have grown to be more like family over the last 4 years at Syracuse.

"Last but not least, I want to give a special thanks to my family who have been with me and supported me throughout my journey. Ever since I was little playing in the NFL has always been a dream of mine..

"With that being said, I will be foregoing my remaining eligibility and officially entering my name in the 2021 NFL Draft."

Melifonwu signed with Syracuse in the 2017 class out of Grafton Memorial Senior High in Massachusetts. He picked the Orange over offers from Michigan, Navy and several other schools.

Syracuse has also lost starting tight end Aaron Hackett, reserve running back Markenzie Pierre and reserve defensive lineman Cooper Dawson to the transfer portal. Starting offensive lineman Airon Servais and starting defensive linemen Josh Black as well as Kingsley Jonathan have each announced they will return for next season.

Published Dec 18, 2020

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.