Malachi James Discusses Syracuse Commitment, Signing

The class of 2024 athlete was a surprise addition to the Orange's recruiting class.

Mike McAllister | Feb 8, 2024

Malachi James Discusses Syracuse Commitment, Signing /

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Syracuse Orange

Syracuse football landed a surprise addition to its 2024 recruiting class on Wednesday when the program announced the signing of Burlington City (NJ) High athlete Malachi James.

"Syracuse was the right fit for me because the moment I stepped foot on the hotel grounds, they showed me and my family hospitality," James said. "Which is a huge green flag. Also, they are a great football team with great coaches."

By stepping foot on hotel grounds James means for an official visit. That took place last month during the weekend of January 12th. He was offered at the end of December and committed to the Orange following his visit. None of that was made public, however, as he waited until National Signing Day to make his intentions known.

"Coach Fran said he didn't want anybody in his business," James said. "He wanted to keep it a surprise until signing day. It was important for me to gain his trust right away. I think it was a test and I passed."

In high school, James plays both cornerback and wide receiver. He also played some running back. During his senior season, he had 25 catches for 609 yards and eight touchdowns along with 35 rushes for 479 yards and five more scores. Defensively, the 5-11, 195 pounder had 38 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble.

So what is the plan for him at Syracuse?

"They don't know," James said. "I may play both sides of the ball."

James has elite speed and could also impact the return game. Once he arrives, the Syracuse staff will see where he best fits.

The Burlington City High standout has not been evaluated by any of the major recruiting services.

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Published Feb 8, 2024

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.