Syracuse, NY – In a surprising development Wednesday morning, five-star wide receiver Kelvin Russell III said today he will not sign with Syracuse.
Russell announced his decision during Miami Northwestern (Florida)’s signing day ceremony on Wednesday morning.
“It’s been a tough three or four days,” Russell said. “I am thinking and I will not sign today.”
Russell did not explain why he would not sign with the Orange.
Russell, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound receiver, committed to Syracuse in July, becoming the program’s highest-ranked commit in more than two decades.
He was considered the crown jewel of Syracuse’s 2026 class, its highest-ranked recruiting class in the modern recruiting era.
But since his highly publicized commitment, the Orange performed poorly on the field, finishing a 3–9 season in which the offense was hampered by poor quarterback play and an inability to develop any passing threat.
In a time when players can negotiate pay with schools, it’s hard to know what prompted Russell to change his mind.
“It could be a combination of everything,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said Wednesday afternoon.
The Miami native has been heavily recruited by his hometown school, where his mother played basketball, and was on the sidelines for several Miami football games this fall.
Michigan was also considered SU’s primary competition until Russell’s decision in July.
During all this, Russell and his representatives said he was coming to Syracuse.
Until he wasn’t.
“It’s the nature of the business,” Brown said. “The final hours. I’m really confident. I’m really good at recruiting. I’m also really good at building relationships. I’m confident in Block S. I’m confident in myself and my staff and I work consistently.
“I am confident that we will move quickly to the end.”
The three-day early signing window runs through Friday and has come to effectively replace the traditional signing day in February.
With Russell moving up to Wednesday’s early signing date, four-star wide receiver Amare Gough of Thomas Jefferson (Virginia) has become Syracuse’s top player in the 2026 class.
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