Syracuse basketball made its first scholarship offers to a 2025 prospect in July, and that offer went to prolific guard Jerry Easter II of Ohio.
The 6-foot-4 Easter, described by recruiting services as a point guard or shooter, was an All-American in his first campaign.
Personally, I think this recruiting target from Orange is a five-star prospect in the top 10 of the class of 2025. For now, however, he seems to be considered a four-star.
Naturally, as a sophomore at Emmanuel Christian School in Toledo, Ohio, his high school recruiting and playing days still have a long way to go.
Several of the major recruiting services recently released their initial national rankings for the 2025 cycle, and Easter made the cut in some of them.
Let’s see where four-star Syracuse basketball rookie Jerry Easter II is ranked nationally.
As we detailed not too long ago, The Circuit places Easter as a four star and No. 33 across the country in its top 50.
When Rivals.com released its first top 40 in this category, Easter ranked four stars and No. 34 overall.
ESPN also recently revealed its top 25 for the 2025 cycle, and Easter was not included.
I’m sure as major recruiting services expand their 2025 national rankings to 60 or more high school players, Easter’s name will be everywhere.
In the 2021-22 stanza, his first season at Emmanuel Christian School, Easter missed several games due to injury.
However, he still managed to average 25 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2021-22, which is a pretty ridiculous number for a freshman.
For his efforts, Easter was named to the MaxPreps All-America First Team last April.
I’m not a recruiting analyst, nor a scout, but if Easter was determined by MaxPreps to be one of the best freshmen in the country last season, how is he not included in the top 25 rankings Nationals from ESPN, Rivals.com, The Circuit or any other recruiting service out there, respectfully, makes no sense to me.
Beyond its Syracuse basketball bid, the Easter bid sheet includes Memphis, Michigan State, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Washington led by Mike Hopkins, UCLA , Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Arizona State, Missouri, New Mexico State, Bowling Green, Morgan State, Northern Illinois, Oakland, Toledo and Cleveland State.
By mid June next year college coaches will be able to make direct contact with the 2025 players. Easter I’m sure will get more offers by then but when the contact period will open up, I guess his recruitment will totally explode.
Easter is not the only 2025 prospect to have received an Orange offer. At the team’s annual elite camp in late August, Syracuse basketball coaches offered 2025 four-star guard/wing Efeosa Oliogu and 2025 four-star combo guard Darius Adams.
Oliogu, 6-foot-6, is a sophomore at United Scholastic Academy in Toronto, while Adams, 6-foot-3, is a sophomore at Manasquan High School in Manasquan, NJ.
