Five-star receiver Calvin Russell has made his decision—and it’s a stunner. The elite wideout is headed to Syracuse to play for Fran Brown and the Orange.
The biggest shocker? Russell passed on Oregon and Michigan to commit to Syracuse, making him the highest-rated recruit in program history.
For months, the Wolverines were seen as the favorite to land the nation’s No. 3 overall wide receiver, but an NIL disagreement appears to have changed everything.
According to On3Sports, Russell backed out of his verbal commitment to Michigan after the program reportedly chose not to honor a previously discussed $4.2 million NIL package for his third and fourth years.
Instead, he locked in a new deal with Syracuse—three years, $4.3 million.
Russell’s move is a massive win for Fran Brown and Syracuse, and a tough loss for the Wolverines, who might have simply run out of financial flexibility. Michigan already committed $10 million over four years to No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood earlier this offseason.
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That investment raised eyebrows, and it makes you wonder whether that big swing impacted their ability to close the deal with Russell.
Regardless, losing Russell hurts.
Russell’s ranking speaks for itself — he’s the No. 21 overall player and the No. 3 wide receiver in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports.
But his numbers tell the real story.
He finished his junior season with 704 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on just 39 catches, and even found the end zone twice more on the ground. He’s also a standout on the basketball court and plans to keep playing both sports once he gets to Syracuse next fall.
For Michigan, it’s a setback—but far from a disaster. Head coach Sherrone Moore still has the Wolverines' 2026 class ranked No. 7 nationally. The program is in a strong spot, but losing a playmaker like Russell, especially to a rising ACC program like Syracuse, is going to sting.
In the end, it’s another sign of how much the NIL landscape is reshaping recruiting battles. The programs willing to pay up are landing the stars—and Syracuse just proved they’re ready to compete on that stage.