Syracuse, N.Y. — The top football recruit in New York is set to announce his commitment on Friday, and Syracuse is among the small number of schools Messiah Hampton is considering.
Hampton is the star of James Monroe in Rochester and will announce his commitment in front of coaches, teammates, family and reporters at Monroe around noon Friday.
Syracuse.com will be in attendance and have news coverage from Rochester on Friday afternoon.
Hampton, a four-star prospect and one of the top-ranked receivers in the country, is one of two highly touted wide receivers the Orange is targeting in the Class of 2026.
Miami Northwestern’s five-star prospect, Calvin Russell, is set to commit in early July.
The Orange is competing with Oregon, Penn State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Michigan for Hampton, the player in their backyard.
As Hampton’s commitment nears, experts who have tracked his recruitment believe it’s a two-horse race between Syracuse and Oregon.
The Ducks wide receivers coach Ross Douglas Sr. left Syracuse in February. Prior to his departure, he was the primary recruiter for Hampton. Now, he is trying to lure Hampton to the Pacific Northwest.
Syracuse currently has the 23rd-ranked recruiting class in 2026, according to 247Sports. Hampton would be the top-rated player in the Orange’s class.
Among the 22 schools ranked ahead of the Orange, six are from the ACC — including second-year programs Southern Methodist, California and Stanford.
If Hampton commits, the Orange will have five, four-star recruits committed to its 2026 class, ranking third in the conference behind Miami and Clemson.
Recruits can formally sign with a school in December.
Oregon was Hampton’s final visit before his commitment date, flying him out four days after his visit with Syracuse last week.
