Football recruiting

Syracuse football recruiting: Orange reportedly adds outside linebacker Zach Morton to Class of 2017

Class of 2017 three-star outside linebacker Zach Morton committed to Syracuse on Tuesday night, per Scout.

The Cass Technical (Michigan) High School junior is listed at about 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds on major recruiting sites. On his personal Twitter account, Morton calls himself a weak side defensive end/outside linebacker.

Morton chose Syracuse over Cincinnati, Iowa State and Western Michigan. Bowling Green had offered Morton while new SU head coach Dino Babers was at the helm for BG.

He is ranked as the 79th best outside linebacker in his class by 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. Scout.com pegs him as the 52nd best and Rivals.com, which has Morton as a two-star recruit, does not rank him.

The Detroit, Michigan native is Syracuse’s fourth commit in the Class of 2017 and first from west of New York. He is also the second outside linebacker. Buffalo, New York native Isaiah McDuffie committed under former head coach Scott Shafer in July 2015. McDuffie and Morton are the only two defensive players in the class.

Barring redshirts, early departures for the NFL Draft and transfers, the Orange will return three linebackers expected to play a significant role this upcoming season in juniors Zaire Franklin, Parris Bennett and Jonathan Thomas. Syracuse only has three underclassmen at the position, redshirt freshman Shyheim Cullen and Troy Henderson as well as sophomore Kyle Kleinberg.

Track the entire Class of 2017 here.

Here are Morton’s junior year highlights, via Hudl.com:





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