Shine Bright Like a Diamond Series: Syracuse/CNY 2023s Pt. 2
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With the 2022 recruiting cycle wrapping up, college coaches are switching to the full court press with the 2023 high school prospects. Here in my “Shine Bright Like A Diamond Series” we will highlight players that should be on college…
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Continue ReadingWith the 2022 recruiting cycle wrapping up, college coaches are switching to the full court press with the 2023 high school prospects. Here in my “Shine Bright Like A Diamond Series” we will highlight players that should be on college coaches radar for this spring evaluation period. We’ll break it down by a major city and its immediate surrounding area. This is part two of some 2023s from Syracuse and CNY who should gain college coaches attention this recruiting cycle.
DeSean Strachan DeSean Strachan 5'10" | 180 lbs | ATH Auburn | 2023 State NY – ATH (Auburn)
The 5’10″ 180lb Strachan is a swiss army knife for the Maroons of Auburn. He plays a little bit of everywhere on the football field from WR, RB, QB and special teams. Desean shows good short area quickness and makes plays consistently with the ball in his hands. Could end up at CB/SAF or the slot at the next level, really all depends on what a coaching staff wants to do with his athleticism. Would like to see DeSean continue to improve upon his speed twitchiness and hopefully he plays in just one position this upcoming season to help him develop more as a WR which in my opinion is where he’ll end up at in college. In 2021 Strachan rushed for 357 yards with 4 rushing TDs, From his CB position he notched 20 tackles and 3 INTs, at QB he was 21-53 for 225 yards with 2 TDs and 4 INTs and from the slot he notched 4 catches for 42 yards. The multipurpose use and 3 INTs helped earn DeSean 1st team All-CNY and 5th team All-State in Class A (NY’s 2nd highest classification).
Highlights from covid season pic.twitter.com/9uVnBGQuBG
— DeSean Strachan DeSean Strachan 5'10" | 180 lbs | ATH Auburn | 2023 State NY (@strachan_desean) October 17, 2021
Urijah Matthews Urijah Matthews 6'2" | 215 lbs | LB Liverpool | 2023 NY – Edge/LB (Liverpool)
An under the radar prospect who has the measurables, athleticism and motor to be a surefire FCS prospect and has Group of 5 potential (wink, wink in state University at Buffalo of the MAC). At 6’2″ 215lbs Matthew passes the eye test easily and posses 4.6 Forty speed to boot. Plays primarily DE for Liverpool high school and they leave him on one side which is baffling to me and opposing teams tend to stay away from him. Urijah is a disruptive force on the field, powerful and cat quick. Only racked up 43 tackles, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery and 2 Sacks in 2021, so you’d like to see those numbers improve because the talent Matthews displays in glimpses is undeniable. Only managed to garner all-league honors in 2021 but that’s largely due to only having 2 sacks from his DE position. Matthews recruitment involves Stony Brook, Columbia, and Buffalo. Recently Urijah attend a junior day on 4/16/22 at Stony Brook and also picked up a invite to Prospect NYS All-NY Showcase in Albany, NY May 7th. After All-NY I expect Matthews to have even more interest from colleges and possibly the first offer for the 2023 recruit.
Had a great day at Stony Brook Today! @CoachMartinoSBU @Coach_Hatch @CoachSindoni pic.twitter.com/NohXWfyWTq
— Urijah Matthews Urijah Matthews 6'2" | 215 lbs | LB Liverpool | 2023 NY (@Riah_1k) April 17, 2022
Prince Perry Prince Perry 5'11" | 170 lbs | QB Institute Of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 NY – QB (Institute of Technology – ITC)
Perry, is a well coached high school QB and it’s kind of expected when your head coach is a former D1 QB having played at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and Toledo. Prince is listed at 5’11″ 170lbs, sports a 3.2 GPA and boast a 4.6 Forty time. Can make plays with his legs unscripted, and keeps his eyes downfield which freezes defenders and allows him to pick up chunk yards with his legs. When running with the ball has decent ball carrier vision and enough wiggle to escape tackles. Perry shows good accuracy with his short to intermediate throws and throws with a beautiful touch. Has above average ball placement on throws and protects his WRs when they are running routes over the middle. In 2021 Perry went 95-133 for 1,787 yards with 10 TDs and 3 INTs, on the ground he rushed 43 times for 326 yards and 4 TDs and he’s a high character kid as well. No news on Perry’s recruiting but hopefully it picks up for him as we get deeper into the live spring evaluation period and into the summer months.
Check me out, https://t.co/yR5PJgDkiD
— Prince Perry Prince Perry 5'11" | 170 lbs | QB Institute Of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 NY (@PepblingQB4) February 17, 2022
Tyler Dixie Tyler Dixie 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Fayetteville-Manlius | 2023 State NY – OL/DL (Fayetteville-Manlius)
6’3″ 270lbs and plays on both the offensive and defensive line for the Fayetteville-Manlius Hornets. On the Defensive line Dixie plays a 2 technique which sometimes is more of a 2i technique and he’s very productive from his 2 tech position. Does a good job using hands to keep blockers from getting into his chest and diagnosis plays well. Shows good hustle, and solid footwork for a big guy. I would like to see Dixie more violent and a tad more effort when faced with getting off double teams. On the offensive line Dixie plays LT and RT and is a physical blocker that is strong and can dominate one man at the point of attack. Needs to work on working to the second level after initial chip blocks and not stay locked on the one defender. Consistently records pancakes blocking 1 on 1. Recruiting hasn’t taken off just yet, but expect that to change. Recently Tyler visited Syracuse University unofficially on April 7th. Dixie garnered 1st team All-CNY and Honorable Mention All-State honors in NYSPHAA Class A.
Had a visit today at Syracuse and I had a blast‼️ @GinoGigs @CuseFootball @DeonMaddoxSU1 pic.twitter.com/uEm8yyjeC7
— Tyler Dixie Tyler Dixie 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Fayetteville-Manlius | 2023 State NY (@TylerDixie77) April 7, 2022
Nathaniel Teska-Prince Nathaniel Teska-Prince 6'3" | 275 lbs | OL Institute of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 State NY – OL (Institute of Technology – ITC)
Fast Lane Nat! A nickname moniker that Nahthaniel has and it’s in tribute to his private trainer former Ithaca College CB Dante Coker and his Fast Lane Performance Training. And that training has Nathaniel molding his body in preparation for his senior year of high school and college. Teska-Prince plays RT in high school, but will most likely end up at Guard on the next level to utilize his hiccup feet, agility and above average speed for his size. Uses hands well and shows consistent well placed hands on defenders. Once he gets a defender in his grasp he can easily control them. Would like to see him defeat first defender and quickly climb to the 2nd level defenders on a steady basis. Nathaniel also has the ability to slide to the defensive side of the ball in college, as he has the speed and size to play 3, 4, 5 or 7 tech along the defensive line. Teska-Prince’s defensive pursuit and angles he takes are solid and he even plays on the kickoff return team. He’s the lead blocker on a offense line that is responsible for allowing ITCs skill guys rush for over 2300 yards and 16 TDs rushing and pass pro to allow their QB to throw for over 1700 yards and 10 TDs. On the recruiting side Nathaniel has heard from the likes of, Monmouth, Wagner, Saint Anselm, Hobart, Ithaca, Stony Brook, Columbia, and has took unofficial visits or attended junior days at; Monmouth, Hobart, Stony Brook, Columbia, and Wagner. From the outside looking in Monmouth is showing the most love to Teska-Prince.
Thank you for the official pictures @StonyBrookFB !! pic.twitter.com/HYZgzht53z
— Nathaniel Teska-Prince Nathaniel Teska-Prince 6'3" | 275 lbs | OL Institute of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 State NY (@teska_prince) March 30, 2022
Tyler Mills Tyler Mills 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Fulton | 2023 NY – WR (Fulton)
The dynamic 5’11″ 170lb WR/DB from Fulton is an incredible athlete who displays traits that D2s and D1 FCS programs would love! Mills also competes in track & field and has been clocked at 4.5 in the forty. Fast, twitchy and explosive and can run pretty much the entire route tree. Probably projects best as a Y or Z receiver at the next level and Mills posses good hands, the ability to high point the ball and offers leaping ability to win 50/50 balls. In 2021 Tyler put up 25 catches for 369 yards and 5 receiving TDs. He also ran the ball 16 times for 117 yards and added 1 INT on defense in only 5 games, all of which along with his athleticism has lead to colleges showing interest in the 2023 WR. Recently took a unofficial visit to DII Saint Anselm (NH) [4-24-22] and is scheduled to camp at Robert Morris University’s Mega Camp June 4th. I expect Tyler to pick up major FCS and DII interest come June 4th at the RMU Mega Camp. Mills, has trained with some of the best WR coaches in Upstate New York from Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. And with his 3.5 GPA Tyler should have no problem attracting more considerable attention from college coaches from now until the end of July.
Had a great junior day visit at Saint Anselm and was an amazing experience. Thank you @STAHawksRecruit @CoachBraine pic.twitter.com/3uNbIPbTFo
— Tyler Mills Tyler Mills 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Fulton | 2023 NY (@Tyler_mills10) April 24, 2022
Avery Costello Avery Costello 6'2" | 190 lbs | DL CBA-Syracuse | 2023 NY – ATH (CBA-Syracuse)
At 6’2″ 190lbs Costello is a solid high school DE who has the frame to add more considerable muscle mass and overall size in college. Costello is highly productive and boasted 94 tackles, 17 TFLs, 8 Sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles, 1 Pass Deflection and 1 Blocked Punt, which lead to Avery being named 1st team All-League, 1st team All-CNY, and Honorable Mention All-State. Costello does a good job setting the edge and disruptive at the point of attack. Does a good job not over pursuing when he’s the backside of the play to negate reverses and misdirection. Has a timeshare in opposing offenses backfields. Solid with is read and reacting and is above average disengaging from blocks. Needs to work on more moves for his pass rush arsenal and defeating blocks using his hands but consistently uses correct leverage on pursuit and tackling. Was a huge part of NYSPHAA Class A State Champion CBA-Syracuse’ productive defense. On the recruiting side Costello has been in contact with the likes of Lehigh, Notre Dame College (OH), Ithaca, Washington & Jefferson, Denison University, Hobart, St. John Fisher, Columbia, Davidson, and Cornell among others. Has already taken unofficial visits to Lehigh and Cornell this offseason.
Thank you @CoachAllenLU for the amazing visit today! I loved the tour of Lehigh’s campus. I also enjoyed meeting the coaching staff and meeting some of the players! @LehighFootball @brucewill15 @CBASyrFootball pic.twitter.com/pwX7x4eD23
— Avery Costello Avery Costello 6'2" | 190 lbs | DL CBA-Syracuse | 2023 NY (@AveryCostello2) April 9, 2022
Griffin Killian Griffin Killian 6'1" | 205 lbs | TE Baldwinsville | 2023 State NY – DE/TE (Baldwinsville)
6’1″ 205 and plays in a run heavy high school offense, but makes the most of every chance he gets to catch a pass. And when playing in a run heavy offense you need to produce at a high clip per touch because they’re far in between. And Killian did just that converting 50% of his receptions into scores. Killian hauled in 8 receptions for 160 yards and 4 TDs and added 22 tackles and 3 sacks from his defensive end position. 4th on the team in receptions, 3rd in receiving yards, 2nd in receiving TDs and also handles the kicking duties for the team. Griffin garnered 1st team All-CNY and 5th team All-State honors in Class AA (NYSPHAA highest classification). Solid inline blocker and can split out and play the Y and runs decent routes. Would love to see his team use him more because when you score 4 TDs on 8 catches….imagine what he could do with 30-40 catches. Nothing on recruiting that is out there on Killian so check back to see the recruiting news on him.
@ODFootballCamps @jerryflora1 @ODFBall @CoachGerbino @hwhitehead45 @TheSHOWByNXGN pic.twitter.com/i2khaygQ7A
— Griffin S Killian (@GriffinKillian1) May 3, 2021
Miguel Cruz Miguel Cruz 5'9" | 185 lbs | DB Institute of Technology (ITC) | 2023 NY – SS/LB (Institute of Technology – ITC)
When you rack up 112 tackles, 1 sack, 1 Forced Fumble and 1 Fumble Recovery in a season there’s no doubt you shined bright like a diamond last season. And that’s exactly what the 5’9″ 185lb Cruz did for ITC as a leader on its defense. Cruz is good at reading and reacting and it allows him to play sideline to sideline and deliver bone crushing hits. Plays downhill when inside the box as a LB but projects as a SS or hybrid LB at the next level. Miguel plays with good aggression like a defensive player should and fills running lanes with a violent purpose. Also trains with former Ithaca college DB Dante Coker and his Fast Lane Performance Training, so he’s receiving college level training in the offseason and during the season with a former D1 DB on staff for ITC. Recently visited Hobart College (NY) unofficially for junior day back on April 24th and has also heard from Carthage College. I expect a ton of D3s and some PSAC D2s definitely to start contacting Cruz now that the the evaluation period is is full bloom for 2023s.
Thank you @CoachGreenBart for the junior day invite to visit Hobarts beautiful campus and Athletics program thank you for the opportunity !! @HobartFootball pic.twitter.com/4Do2jCuMS6
— Miguel Cruz Miguel Cruz 5'9" | 185 lbs | DB Institute of Technology (ITC) | 2023 NY (@7MIGUELCRUZ_) April 24, 2022
Isaiah Goodrich Isaiah Goodrich 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB Institute of Technology (ITC) | 2023 NY – SAF/OLB (Institute of Technology – ITC)
Projects as a safety at the next level but plays OLB for ITC and more than holds down the fort on his side of the defense. Always around the ball either tackling, forcing fumbles, grabbing interceptions he is a defensive playmakers who’s very active on film. Goodrich stands 5’10″ and goes 175lbs and racked up 77 tackles, 1 Sack, 2 Forced Fumbles and 5 INTs on his way to earning 1st team All-League honors. Hard hitter who comes up to make tackles with enthusiasm which any college defensive coordinator would love to coach. Attended junior day at Wagner College (NY) on April 30th and I expect the aggressive ballhawk to draw considerable attention from more schools at the FCS level. Isaiah and his teammate; Tyshawn Taylor Tyshawn Taylor 5'9" | 160 lbs | WR Institute of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 State NY , Prince Perry Prince Perry 5'11" | 170 lbs | QB Institute Of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 NY , Tre’Juer Sledge Tre’Juer Sledge 5'9" | 170 lbs | RB Institute Of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 State NY , Nathaniel Teska-Prince Nathaniel Teska-Prince 6'3" | 275 lbs | OL Institute of Technology Central (ITC) | 2023 State NY , and Miguel Cruz Miguel Cruz 5'9" | 185 lbs | DB Institute of Technology (ITC) | 2023 NY are always of service to their Syracuse community and where recognized by Syracuse University and the Syracuse City School District with the Martin Luther King Unsung Hero Award for their continued community service work showing ITC has a great group of high character young men! Great job to the ITC coaching staff!
Blessed to have received an invite To @Wagner_Football Junior day on April 30th from @CoachBrins ! I will be attending🙏🏾. Truly blessed and honored to receive this opportunity! @Cedric_stevens5 #blessed pic.twitter.com/MtKMW3tBBQ
— Isaiah Goodrich Isaiah Goodrich 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB Institute of Technology (ITC) | 2023 NY (@IsaiahGoodrich4) March 21, 2022
Connor Dean Connor Dean 6'3" | 180 lbs | DL Camden | 2023 NJ – QB (Camden)
Standing 6’3″ 180lbs the athletic and super fast Camden standout is a true dual-threat QB. Couldn’t get Connor’s exact passing, rushing and defensive stats from 2021 but Dean lead his team to a 5-3 record in 2021 and averaged 3 TDs per game which puts his total TD output at 24 TDs. First two plays of film on Dean and he takes an RPO to the house on each play. Can throw with accuracy and has a nice touch on his passes allowing catchable balls for his receivers. When in running mode shows very good vision and balance and yes he can make a defender miss in small creases or in the open field. On defense Dean is a rangy, athletic safety that covers a lot of ground with long strides and incredible speed. High points the ball exceptionally well and legit could end up at QB, WR, OR FS in college. Racked up 1st team All-CNY and 3rd team All-State honors and Connor is also a very accomplished track & field athlete as well. Dean has personal best of 4.52 in the forty, 11.4 in the 100m, 50.59 in the 400m, 23.4 in the 200m, 7.84 in the 55m and boast a long jump best of 21’7″. Expect Dean to possibly end up at a FCS school if not he’s for sure a high priority D2 prospect.
Next time we’ll wrap up Syracuse/CNY 2023s with Part 3 and then move on to Rochester/Section V 2023s who shined bright like diamonds in 2021.