James Heard Jr., a football transfer, is the most recent player the Orange have signed.
Fran Brown, the new head coach, continues to assemble a talented group of Syracuse Orange football recruits. James Heard Jr., a transfer edge rusher who redshirted in his only season at West Virginia, is the newest player added to the 2024 roster.
Heard came from Brown’s hometown of Camden, New Jersey, and was rated as a three-star prospect at first. For the Mountaineers, he made three appearances but did not log any stats.
Before Sunday, the 6’2″, 230-pound defensive edge had the potential to immediately establish himself as a key player in a position group that was thin. Heard was initially offered by several schools, including Penn State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and others, even though his recent pursuits were less well-known.
It’s also important to remember that his main Aggie recruiter was Elijah Robinson, the new defensive coordinator, who probably played a big part in getting him to Syracuse.
Heard is ranked as the sixth-highest pick by Brown and the seventh-highest rated recruit/transfer for the Orange, but he stands out for having the best composite score (88.04) among defensive players. Additionally, he will be a part of a strong foundation that will aid in rebuilding the pass rush because he still has four years left to be eligible.
Daikiel Shorts Jr., a former wide receiver for West Virginia University, was appointed as the University of Kentucky’s wide receiver coach on Tuesday. He is the most recent Mountaineer alumni to advance in the coaching ranks.
In a press release, Stoops stated, “Daikiel Shorts is a young and talented coach who is a great addition to our program.” He’s impressed me, for sure. He is gregarious, relatable, and full of vitality. The fact that he will be an excellent mentor to our players is what matters most. We can’t wait for him to arrive.
Shorts became one of the Big 12’s most dependable receivers while attending West Virginia, and quarterback Skyler Howard would always turn to him when the Mountaineers needed to move the ball. 176 receptions, 2,246 yards, and 14 touchdowns were his final WVU stats.
Shorts signed as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills in 2017 following his lack of selection in the NFL Draft. A year later, he returned to West Virginia to start concentrating on his post-playing career, never making it up to the active 53-man roster. Before he left for Houston, Holgorsen offered him a chance to work as a program assistant during his last season at WVU. After his departure, Shorts assumed the role of Director for Player Development. Holgorsen fired Tyron Carrier in May 2021 and appointed Shorts as the Cougars’ receivers coach, his first full-time assistant position.
