Syracuse Signee Evaluation: Duce Chestnut

What the Orange is getting in defensive back Duce Chestnut

Mike McAllister | Dec 16, 2020

Syracuse Signee Evaluation: Duce Chestnut /

Player: Duce Chestnut

Position: Cornerback

Height/Weight: 5-11, 180 lbs

School: Camden High (Camden, NJ)

Other Notable Offers: Baylor, Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, Ole Miss, Rutgers, West Virginia

Evaluation:

Frame: Despite being under six feet tall, Chestnut has a long wingspan that makes up for the lack of height. That is why he has the versatility to play corner or safety, but is coming to Syracuse as a corner. Because of those long arms he can also play in the slot and is able to be physical with opposing receivers.

Athleticism: Chestnut is also a track star for Camden, showing he has the speed to play on the outside at the power five level. He changes direction well without losing speed, shows quickness in tight windows and has great upper body strength.

Instincts: Chestnut is a playmaker and has a knack for forcing turnovers. He high points the ball well and has excellent ball skills. Perhaps his greatest attribute is his ability to run the route for the receiver. He shows his willingness to study film by recognizing patterns in his opponents.

Polish: There are always things to work on in order to continue to develop as a player. For Chestnut, that is working on his backpedal a bit and transitioning from that to running with a receiver. That is on the nit-picking side though as he does a lot of things very well already. Chestnut plays with a level of physicality that you typically do not see at the high school level. He is exceptional in coverage and is one of the better press corners in the class.

Bottom Line: There is no way to underplay this. Chestnut is a big time cornerback prospect who has the potential to be the next in line of the Andre Cisco, Trill Williams, Garrett Williams lineage.

Published Dec 16, 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.