Recruiting insider drops bombshell on 5-star WR Calvin Russell's Michigan snub following $4.3 million Syracuse commitment

Maliha
NCAA Basketball: Northwestern at Michigan - Source: Imagn
NCAA Basketball: Northwestern at Michigan - Source: Imagn

Before five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell committed to Syracuse on Saturday, many expected him to pick Michigan. On3 also projected a 71.9% chance that the Wolverines would land him.

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On Tuesday, On3’s Steve Wiltfong shared that he even saw a statement from Russell’s agency indicating he was headed to Michigan and had prepared a press release before Russell ultimately chose Syracuse. Wiltfong noted that both the Wolverines and the Orange made similar NIL offers to Russell.

"And Michigan, they are tough to beat for a program from an NIL standpoint when you are amongst their top players on the board like Calvin Russell was," Wiltfong said. "I think Michigan gave him a great opportunity off the field."
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According to Russell’s agent, Justin Giangrande, he will join Syracuse on a three-year, $4.3 million deal. However, Wiltfong reported that it was Fran Brown and his staff’s relentless recruiting that made the difference for Syracuse.

"Nobody recruited him harder and connected with him and his family more than Fran Brown and company while also showing a program on the rise with an exciting offense.
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"Almost every coach on staff down there in the spring, basketball staff invested, they poured into the personal side of that recruitment, and I think that's what won out for Calvin Russell as much as anything."

Russell now becomes just the third five-star recruit to commit to Syracuse since 2000, joining quarterback Cecil Howard and wide receiver Johnnie Morant.

Calvin Russell shares why he chose Syracuse over Michigan

Michigan signed five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood in the 2025 class, and Calvin Russell could be a big support for him on offense. His surprise commitment to Syracuse was a big recruiting blow for the Wolverines in the 2026 cycle.

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In an interview with Rivals, Russell shared why he ditched Sherrone Moore's program in favor of Fran Brown's program.

“I’m not going to lie, I made [my decision] a couple of days ago. Michigan came close, but Coach Fran, the individual he is, how he was raised, I feel it. How he carries himself, the men I was raised around are similar to him, that’s why I want to be there.”

Michigan has three wide receiver commits in the 2026 class: Zion Robinson, Travis Johnson and Jaylen Pile. The Wolverines have a total of 21 committed players in the cycle, ranking No. 9 in the nation.

Edited by Nadim El Kak
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