4-star CB Marcellus Barnes commits to Syracuse

Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie four-star cornerback Marcellus Barnes has committed to Syracuse.

He chose the Orange following his decommitment from Virginia Tech on Nov. 19.

New head coach Fran Brown led the way in his recruitment, first recruiting him as the defensive backs coach at Georgia before he took the head job in Syracuse. Barnes visited for the final weekend before the Early Signing Period and now joins a steadily growing Orange recruiting class.

“I committed to Syracuse over Georgia and Ole Miss,” Barnes told On3. “My relationship with Coach Fran is what it came down to. He is a lot like me. He is not afraid to compete and he doesn’t back down from anything.

“From the beginning, Coach Fran recruited me hard and was honest with me. He tells you the truth regardless if you like it or not. I believe he is one of the best defensive backs coaches in the country, I think he can turn Syracuse around and I feel he can help me on and off the field.”

Brown was part of two national titles at Georgia. That excited Barnes too. Barnes signed on Dec. 20, he will enroll early and he believes in the staff he is set to play for.

“Coach Fran, Coach E (Elijah Robinson), Coach Nick (Williams) and the staff all bring something to Syracuse. Coach E from Texas A&M, Coach Nick from Colorado and Coach Fran from Georgia. I like being the underdog and I feel like that is what Syracuse is, but they have a lot of potential and I am ready to go make an early impact and help them win games.”

Barnes is the No. 345 overall prospect and No. 29 corner in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 9 player in Tennessee.

On3 is much higher on him than other recruiting services, though. In the most recent On300 rankings, he was tabbed as the country’s No. 193 prospect, No. 23 cornerback and No. 4 recruit in Tennessee.