Class of 2022 DT Belizaire Bassette Commits to Syracuse

The Orange picked up a big defensive line commitment for its 2022 class.

Mike McAllister | Mar 27, 2021

Class of 2022 DT Belizaire Bassette Commits to Syracuse /

Class of 2022 defensive tackle Belizaire Bassette has committed to Syracuse, he announced on Saturday. Bassette stars at American Heritage High School in Florida. He picked the Orange over offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Washington State and others. It was Syracuse's second commitment along the defensive line in as many days, as Malachi Davis gave his verbal pledge on Friday.

"Syracuse was the right fit for me because of their defensive scheme," Bassette said. "They will be me rushing from the three, one, five, zero and four, and I feel like I can fit that scheme very well. They have a great coaching staff and I've formed great bonds with coach Monroe, coach White, coach Babers and coach Reynolds. And their academics are great also."

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That relationship with the Syracuse coaches proved pivotal in his recruitment.

"They were very honest from day one and very family oriented," Bassette said. "They have a great organization and I know they will take this program to its maximum potential."

This is not the first time Syracuse has hit up American Heritage to add talent to its roster. The Orange landed wide receiver Oronde Gadsden during the 2021 cycle.

"I will be excited to play with him once again," Bassette said. "He's a big time playmaker and I know what he's capable of doing. Just won a state championship with him this year. He's a real big time player. It will be great teaming up with him again."

There is another prospect at American Heritage that Syracuse has prioritized in the 2022 class. That would be Jacolby Spells, who Syracuse is recruiting as a defensive back. Bassette says he is going to help the Orange in their efforts with Spells.

"Based on the recruiting process for me it will show him how honest and how there is a family bond within Syracuse," Bassette said.

Bassette is the fourth player to commit to Syracuse in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He joins defensive back Cornell Perry, running back LeQuint Allen and defensive lineman Malachi Davis.

Published Mar 27, 2021

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.