Syracuse National Signing Day Profile: Mekhi Mason

Mason brings a lot of potential to the Orange linebacker group.

Mike McAllister | Dec 15, 2021

Syracuse National Signing Day Profile: Mekhi Mason /

Player: Mekhi Mason
Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-2, 220 pounds
School: Monsignor Pace High (FL)
Other Notable Offers: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, West Virginia
Verbal Commitment Date: July 1, 2021
Enrolling Early: Yes

Commitment Quote: "I fit best on the defense," Mason said. "The education is great and it felt like home."

Evaluation: Mason is an athletic, explosive linebacker who can do a bit of everything. Mason is a natural pass rusher, trusts his eyes to read and react to a play, sheds blocks, and navigates traffic to get his hands on a ball carrier. When he sees his target, he accelerates quickly and arrives with power. What we do not see in his highlight tape is downfield coverage. That is an area he will have to develop as he gets to the collegiate level.

How Mason's body develops in Syracuse's strength and conditioning program will determine whether he stays as an inside backer or slides outside. If Mason stays on the leaner side, he can use some of his athleticism and acceleration to be a capable edge rushing linebacker. If Mason adds some strength and weight to his frame, he can be a prototypical downhill middle linebacker. Either way, he plays with the physicality needed to excel at either spot and shows good instincts when reacting to opposing run plays.

As Mason gets more comfortable at Syracuse, working on lateral movement, footwork and coverage will be critical. Mason will need to be able to either cover a tight end over the middle or locate and sprint to a back out of the backfield.

Published Dec 15, 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.