Wide receiver Calvin Russell is one of the biggest names in the 2026 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 21-ranked player in his class and the No. 3 wide receiver. As a result, fans are excited to see where the star receiver is going to end up.
On Saturday, college football fans appeared to get an answer as it was reported by several media outlets, including ESPN, that Russell committed to play for the Syracuse Orange. He appeared to be joining an Orange squad that already has several strong commitments from other top athletes in the 2026 recruiting class.
However, on Saturday night, Russell got on X to refute the reports. He tweeted that he has not committed to anyone.

"I HAVEN’T COMMITTED TO NO ONE," Russell wrote.
Despite Russell's refutation of commitment reports, major media outlets are still reporting that Russell is committed to the Syracuse Orange. It is possible that Russell is simply denying the reports so he can make a big show of his commitment in a traditional hat ceremony.
It is also possible that Russell has not committed to the Orange and the reports are wrong. Fans will likely need to wait as the truth comes out in the coming days.
If Calvin Russell commits to Syracuse, he would be the third five-star recruit in the program's history
The initial report that Calvin Russell had committed to Syracuse was big news in the college football world. Although Syracuse is a good program, it is not one that often gets commitments from top recruits. In fact, if Russell has indeed committed to the Orange, he would only be the third five-star commitment in the program's history.
It would also be the first five-star recruit for the Orange in over 20 years. The last time a five-star recruit committed to the Orange was when quarterback Cecil Howard committed to the squad in 2001. Before that, wide receiver Johnnie Morant committed to the team in 2000. Those are the only two previous five-star commits for the Orange.
Other than Calvin Russell, the Syracuse Orange have done a decent job of bringing in talent. Although they have no other five-star commitments, two four-star recruits have committed to the team: wide receiver Amare Gough and Edge Jarius Rodgers.
The Orange are coming off one of their best seasons in recent memory. They went 10-3 and won the Holiday Bowl.
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