Syracuse football’s first-year head coach Fran Brown and his top-tier staff signed a brilliant and huge 2025 class on Wednesday, marking the start of the early signing period for high school seniors, while two prospects from the Sunshine State have chosen Southeastern Conference programs.
Javion Hilson, a 2025 five-star edge player and top-20 national recruit according to Rivals.com, has committed to Missouri, an SEC member. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Hilson paid an official visit to the Hill in early November, and media sources indicated that his trip to Central New York went well, with the Orange staff vying hard for the star from Cocoa High School in Cocoa, Fla.
Ole Miss, a fellow SEC team, has signed 2025 four-star wide receiver and top-100 national prospect Winston Watkins Jr. from Venice High School in Venice, Florida. In late March of this year, the 5-foot-10, 172-pound Watkins had an unofficial visit to Syracuse and stated in a recent interview that he had intended to officially see Syracuse football, but that did not happen.
Naturally, I wish Javion and Winston all the best in their future SEC careers. Both received scholarship offers from the Orange coaching staff.
Ole Miss, a fellow SEC team, has signed 2025 four-star wide receiver and top-100 national prospect Winston Watkins Jr. from Venice High School in Venice, Florida. In late March of this year, the 5-foot-10, 172-pound Watkins had an unofficial visit to Syracuse and stated in a recent interview that he had intended to officially see Syracuse football, but that did not happen.
Naturally, I wish Javion and Winston all the best in their future SEC careers. Both received scholarship offers from the Orange coaching staff.
Committed.. I’m Home 🏡🐯 @CoachDrinkwitz @coachbrianearly @CoachYounger14 @Cocoa_Schneider @J55FoFo @OfficialAthlete @CocoaFootball @mdiesel321 @JohnGarcia_Jr @Rivals@adamgorney @ChadSimmons pic.twitter.com/kQ9TMTDfSx
— Javion Hilson (@javion_hilson) December 4, 2024
According to national commentators, Hilson’s recruiting process was difficult to gauge after verbally committing to Alabama and then Florida State. For a long time, another SEC team, Texas, was thought to be the frontrunner for Hilson, with Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, and the Orange all in the running.
He paid official visits to Michigan and, most recently, Missouri in late November. Missouri received some analyst buzz for Hilson in the days leading up to the start of the early signing period on December 4, and the Tigers eventually won him over.
Watkins recently disclosed a top eight that included Orange, Colorado, Alabama, Penn State, Indiana, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Georgia. For a few months, the Rebels had some analyst buzz in his recruitment, and Watkins paid official visits to Indiana, Ole Miss, and South Carolina between late May and late June.
Watkins, who was formerly a Texas A&M and then a Colorado verbal commit, reportedly told recruiting analyst Ryan Wright in a story on si.com that he has been speaking with Syracuse’s receivers’ coach, coach (Ross) Douglas. We had a great connection in the spring.
I spoke to him a lot. As the summer and season progressed, I never had the opportunity to return for an official visit, although I desperately wanted to. We could never coordinate our schedules to get me back up there. They have contacted me throughout the season.”
In terms of ‘Cuse verbal commits flipping to other schools, the Orange’s 2025 class on Wednesday was relatively unremarkable. Darius Johnson, a 2025 three-star wide receiver from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, switched from Troy to the Orange after making an official visit to Central New York.
Brown and his staff are on track for the largest 2025 cycle in the country, at least during the early signing period, with a class that presently ranks in the top 40 nationally, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and Rivals.com.
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